Regular exercise can bring remarkable changes to one’s body as it helps with weight reduction and aids in building and maintaining strong muscles. Being physically active has been shown to bring a slew of health benefits not just physically, but mentally as well. Research has long supported the mental health benefits of exercise. One study found that people who engage in physical activities felt calmer and more content after going for a walk, or doing some housework. This shows that you do not need to be a fitness fanatic to reap the benefits of exercise, for even modest amounts of physical activity can have a positive impact on your mood.
Exercise as Depression Relief
Depression is a serious mental illness that directly affects a person’s normal way of life. Many people with depression find it difficult to focus on everyday things such as watching television and reading the papers due to a loss of motivation and a pervasive low mood. Depression can also make it hard to find the energy and motivation for physical activities.
A 2005 study by University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center researchers found that spending half an hour each day on doing moderately intense exercise can help reduce the symptoms of depression. While an endorphin-boosting workout is not a depression cure-all, it has been found to promote happiness as it increases the brain’s dopamine production. Given these benefits, many experts suggest the inclusion of exercise in the treatment plan of patients with depression.
Here are some great exercises that can help ease the symptoms of depression:
Strength training
According to a meta-analysis involving almost 2,000 people, resistance training, also known as strength training can reduce depressive symptoms. According to the study, people with mild to moderate depression reaped the most benefits from the strength training, compared to participants without depression. The finding of the study gives medical professionals a new method that can help improve depressive symptoms as well as behavioral therapies.
Just be sure to warm up before resistance training and seek the assistance of a personal trainer when necessary.
Walking
An Australian study suggests that women who averaged 200 minutes of walking every week felt better emotionally, had more energy, and socialized more. The participants of the study also felt less pain and did better physically.
Walking is suited for almost everyone. All it takes is a pair of shoes that will relieve pressure away from your feet, and you’re good to go.
Exercise as stress relief
Exercise takes your mind off the things that you may be stressing about. If you go for a walk outside or do some gardening, you get to have a change in scenery, which in turn helps lower your stress levels. Virtually any form of exercise can act as stress reliever, so don’t worry if you’re not in shape or if you can only do modest exercises.
Here is how exercise increases your sense of well-being and relieves tension:
It promotes the release of feel-good brain chemicals – When you exercise, your brain increases production of endorphins, dopamine, and serotonin. These are the brain chemicals responsible for regulating your mood and making you feel good.The greater the endorphin surge, the more you feel a sense of elation, or what many refer to as runner’s high.
If you find that running is too intense for your current fitness level, you can opt for other physical activities such as hiking and playing tennis, which can contribute to the same feeling that runners experience after a long workout.
Helps improve your self-image
Many people quit doing exercise early on, because they do not see immediate changes in their body. But as you progress through months doing exercise and begin to see positive changes like increased stamina and strength, you will feel a sense of accomplishment and your self-image will improve. A boost in self-esteem may not sound much for some, but it is extremely beneficial for people with mental health condition such as anxiety or depression.
It has mood-enhancing benefits
Regular exercise can help you better process negative emotions by boosting resilience to emotional situations. In addition, a recent study in mice has found that exercise helps generate neurons that release GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), a neurotransmitter that contributes to motor control and other cortical functions. In short, GABA prevents the brain from becoming over excited, thus reducing anxiety and stress.
