There are countless blogs talking about exercise for mental health. So, why read and trust the information in this blog?
To write this blog, we interviewed many people coping with stress, anxiety, depression, and other mental health conditions. We also tapped into platforms like Quora and Reddit, where people openly share real-life experiences about physical exercise and mental health. So, everything you read here is grounded in scientific research and real-life experiences.
Now, without further ado, let’s explore how physical activity boosts mental health and well-being.
Engaging in physical activities releases happy hormones.
You might have experienced that “relaxing and joyful feeling” after a run or workout. That’s due to the burst of happy hormones released during physical activities.
Happy hormones are responsible for good mood and positive feelings like pleasure, happiness, and optimism.
These hormones include:
- Dopamine: The “feel-good” hormone is primarily associated with learning, memory, and pleasurable sensations.
- Serotonin: Regulates your mood, sleep, appetite, digestion, learning ability, and memory.
- Oxytocin: The “love hormone” helps promote romance, trust, bonding, and empathy in relationships.
- Endorphins: The body’s natural pain reliever, secreted in response to stress or discomfort.
Physical activities regulate stress hormones.
While small doses of stress can encourage us to stay alert, meet deadlines, and handle emergencies, chronic stress can take a toll on our physical and mental health.
When we’re in stressful or challenging situations, our body releases stress hormones that are critical for responding to stressors. But, high levels of stress hormones can trigger chronic mental health conditions like depression, anxiety disorder, and Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). It can also affect our physical health, affecting almost all body organs.
The most common stress hormones are:
- Cortisol: Mainly helps regulate the body’s response to stress.
- Epinephrine (adrenaline): Helps in the body’s emergency response system.
Regular physical workouts and other activities can help regulate and reduce the levels of stress hormones. For example, a recent rodent study shows that regular aerobic physical activity positively impacts adrenaline levels, which is good for mental health.
Physical activities boost your self-confidence.
Getting fat and unhealthy feels bad. Getting fit and healthy feels good.
Plus, besides hormones and neurotransmitters, the following are the ways physical activities make you feel more confident:
- Break out of bad habits like poor diet and sedentary lifestyle.
- Feel physically and mentally stronger, especially with muscle training or weightlifting.
- Creating and sticking to a workout routine gives you a sense of achievement.
- Helps manage your body weight and improves your body image.
- Feeds your brain with crucial nutrients and oxygen, thus making you smarter.
This is how exercise has a transformative impact on self-confidence and self-esteem. Check out this Reddit thread to see what people say about physical workouts and confidence.
Other mental health benefits of physical activities
Even if you’re not suffering from any mental health problems, adding different types of exercise to your routine will boost your mental well-being. It can provide benefits like:
- Better sleep
- Healthy appetite
- Weight management
- Increased energy levels
- Encourages positive thinking
- Improved focus and coordination
- Sharper memory and critical thinking
- Less tension, stress, and mental fatigue
- Stronger emotional and physical resilience
- Reduced cholesterol and improved cardiovascular health
- Reduced skeletal muscle tension, making you feel relaxed
And many more benefits naturally, without any side effects.
What types of exercise or physical activities should you choose?
The good news is you can choose any physical activity, and it doesn’t have to be strenuous or take a long time. You don’t need to sweat buckets or run miles to reap the benefits of exercise for mental health. Even low- or moderate-intensity exercise can make a huge difference in mood and thinking.
You can choose aerobic exercises, like jogging, cycling, walking, swimming, gardening, and even dancing, that have been shown to reduce anxiety and depression. Devoting 30 minutes five times a week is enough to keep your body and mind in good shape. According to Australia’s physical activity and sedentary guidelines, adults should aim for 2.5-5 hours of moderate physical activity or 1.25-2.5 hours of vigorous physical activity per week.
How do you get started with physical activities or workouts?
As you see, working out and mental health are connected. We suggest starting small and build up your strength gradually. Keep changing your activities so that you don’t get bored.
If you think you need guidance, you can even hire a personal trainer online or in person) who can create a customized workout plan for you. The expertise, support, and accountability these professionals provide is unmatched. Also, they will make sure your fitness program is safer, more fun, and more effective.
