The Mental Health Benefits of Exercise

How can it increase my quality of life?

Most of us know that exercise is beneficial, we hear it all the time.

But what exactly does this mean in terms of mental health? At the risk of sounding too scientific with the neurological processes of the brain, here are a few of the most encouraging benefits:

1. Exercise helps produce dopamine and serotonin (happy chemicals). It also causes the brain to release endorphins that create a general feeling of happiness and satisfaction. Studies have shown that exercise can alleviate symptoms among people suffering from depression and anxiety.

2. Decrease your stress! Moving your body can moderate the brain’s response to stressors. Taking a break from the worries and connecting inward with your mind and body through exercise can even serve as a form of active meditation.

3. You’ll get a better night’s sleep. Exercise can help reboot your body clock, indicating it’s time to sleep. By raising your core temperature during exercise, your brain is signaled that you’ll need to rest a few hours later (Youngsedt, 2007).

4. You can strengthen brain and cognitive abilities. Regular physical activity can boost your memory and ability to learn new things. Working out boosts the chemicals in the brain that prevent degeneration of the hippocampus which plays an important role in memory and learning (Erickson, et al. 2010)

5. Increase your self-esteem and confidence. Although the mental health benefits far outweigh those of living a sedentary lifestyle, simultaneously elevating your perception of yourself can boost a positive self-image.

Want to learn more? Get inspired to get your sweat on by checking out these links below:

https://www.apa.org/monitor/2011/12/exercise

https://www.psycom.net/exercise-benefits-mental-health

Resources

Erickson, K. I., Prakash, R. S., Voss, M. W., Chaddock, L., Heo, S., Mclaren, M., . . . Kramer, A. F. (2010). Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Is Associated with Age-Related Decline in Hippocampal Volume. Journal of Neuroscience, 30(15), 5368-5375. doi:10.1523/jneurosci.6251-09.2010

Youngstedt, S. (2007). S20.C Acute and adaptive effects of physical exercise on sleep. Sleep Medicine, 8. doi:10.1016/s1389-9457(07)70088-6