We all understand how important physical fitness is and how good it is for the body, but did you know physical fitness can also improve your anxiety, stress, depression, your mood and sleep.
What are the mental health benefits of exercise?
Physical fitness has a number of benefits that include better cardiovascular endurance, slimmer waistlines, improve a longer and healthier lifestyle but is that want pushes people to stay active? Somethings above I’d say yes but then I think people who exercise regularly have a long term goal and the word well-being comes into mind, people after training feel more energetic during the day, they feel more positive, they think better and sleep better at night and all this leads to mental health and the challenges it faces. It also relieves regular exercise can have a positive impact on anxiety, depression, and stress. With a structured training programme, you can reap the benefits of improving your physical fitness and it doesn’t need to be a lung buster of a workout programme, Study has proven that the modest amounts of exercise can make a real difference you can follow a programme or a professional training instructor and turn physical fitness into a powerful tool to try deal with mental health problems.
Having a positive impact
Having your mindset focused before starting your programme will help the win against mental fitness and will have a long-lasting impact on anxiety, depression, and stress. Let’s dig a bit deeper into long lasting impact.
Stress
Can you remember the last time you have been under stress? And if so what way did your body accept it, did you suffer from headaches, did your body cramp or tense up, did you experience that tightness in your chest that you just wanted to scream, was your pulse racing out of control, you might have also experienced insomnia, stomach aches, or diarrhoea and after showing these physical symptoms, in turn, this can put more unnecessary stress onto the body developing a violent process between your mind and body.
What is the best exercise for stress?
The fastest way to get stress-busting benefits is through Aerobic Fitness, aerobic fitness elevates the heart rate, which in turns releases endorphins into the brain. Other ways to release stress are jogging, walking, cycling and more. With your mind and body working on the same frequency physical activity can help relax the muscles and also relieve tension, with the body returning to a normal state so too will your mind.
“Training gives us an outlet for suppressed energies created by stress and thus tones the spirit just as exercise conditions the body”.
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Depression
Depression can happen very fast but exercising regularly can treat mild to moderate depression if you walk or run for 30 minutes a day you can reduce the risk of major depression by 20% and following a structured training programme can prevent you from relapsing.
How does exercise reduce depression?
Research has proven that regular exercise can help ease depression and releasing feel-good endorphins and natural cannabis-like brain chemicals otherwise known as endogenous cannabinoids, this can all enhance your sense of wellbeing. Finally, physical training can offer as a distraction, allowing you that freedom or that quiet break away from negative thoughts that play on depression.
"It’s so difficult to describe depression to someone who’s never been there, because it’s not sadness. I know sadness. Sadness is to cry and to feel. But it’s that cold absence of feeling — that really hollowed-out feeling.”
J.K. Rowling
Anxiety
Physical exercise is very beneficial for anxiety it reduces stress, tension, it enhances wellbeing and help boosts mental and physical energy through the release of endorphins. Once you're focused and have a clear objective on an effective physical training program this will improve performance. Having a clear mindset certainly helps your body and how it feels during exercises.
Does walking help with anxiety?
Walking most definitely helps eases anxiety, a short walk each day 30 minutes max walking can lower your heart rate and relieve stress and it’s quite scenic.
“Trust yourself, smile breathe and go slowly, you have survived a lot and you’ll survive whatever is coming your way”
Robert Tew
When you're not feeling the best and you're under the weather, you might need a doctor and then you see the pharmacy and it all cost money? Maintaining a healthy lifestyle like Walking is “FREE” it will cost you nothing and keeping an active lifestyle will keep you away from the doctor/ Pharmacy.
Physical activity and mental health.
Physical activity is known as the movement of the body that in turns works the muscles and requires more energy than resting. Walking, Running, Swimming, are just a few examples, “Gardening”, it’s effective and it sure can be physical, and on the other side, it’s pleasant and relaxing. Physical Exercise needs to be planned and structured, very same as if your friend asks you to organise a Stag/Hen party, from the word “Go” your thinking and planning and when it’s a successful party after all your planning then it’s hats off to you.
It’s the very same if you're going walking, running, or hitting the gym you need your plan in place. I talked before about the advantage of recording your workouts, something about going over your material that gives you some satisfaction, you can see on the page all the workouts that are structured, planned and most importantly process on the page.
And when you have activated this your strategy towards Physical Fitness will be a never-ending story. Before moving on I want to dig a bit deeper into another topic and that’s what physical fitness does for your mindset.
“Make a plan… See it through… No excuses”
Physical activity is good not only for your body but it's great for your mind too.
I have underlined this matter in previous articles before and research has shown physical activity release chemicals into your brain and in turn, this can play a major part in how your feeling, it makes you feel good about yourself, it builds your self-esteem and when you value yourself you feel secure and worthwhile, it also improves your confidence and it shows your open to feedback & learning and this can all help you acquire and perfect new skills. It helps with sleep & better concentration and most importantly you look and feel better. “Now after reading that, it’s not bad for something we can do for FREE”
There are any amount of ways you can stay active and staying active can improve your mental health. Physical Fitness also allows you to meet new people and together you can reach different goals. I do believe the power of working as a group is brilliant, it’s that motivation and drives from others that can push you on, it’s that old saying “There strength in numbers” One study has proven that 95% who start a program with a group of friends will complete the program to the end. And I’m sure you all heard the quote before “mind over matter”. I find working with GAA, Rugby Team’s etc when doing Team Building events that whatever I put in front of that team they will hit a home run straight away, and know need to focus them, it’s great. Also taking part in something you always dreamed about, for example, a charity event or a marathon this in itself can lead you and your group aiming for something and giving you a sense of purpose.
Benefits of being physically active:
- Less tension, stress and mental fatigue
- A natural energy boost
- Improve sleep
- A sense of achievement
- Focus in your life and motivation
- Less anger or frustration
- A healthy appetite
- Better social life
- Having fun
- Detoxifying the body.
Nonetheless, this is a look forward to as the pandemic and lockdown are still enforced. So stick to the Guidelines and support this till the end.
"Healthy exercise is a remarkable method to free your brain." It's amazing how exercise can clear your mind and cause you to feel like your on top of the world. Regardless of what encounters your brain, after that exercise – you'll feel more relaxed and focused. Perhaps the most ideal approaches to clear your mind.
Tom Devereux
