How fitness helps with mental health

What are the mental health benefits of exercise?

Obviously, exercising makes your muscles stronger; but what if I told you... it also increases your mental capacity? When we talk about fitness and exercise, we tend to to overlook the psychological benefits and focus more on the physical aspect. Maybe something that isn't talked about as much, is the fact that many mental health professionals often prescribe exercise as part of the treatment for specific mental health conditions.

Exercise is a very potent anti-depressant

Studies show that a consistent exercise program can treat clinical depression as effectively as an anti-depressant medication, but without the bad side effects. In fact, there are tons of good side effects of exercise that actually aid in naturally alleviating symptoms of depression. Exercise releases endorphins which are the brain's "feel-good chemicals". Working out also reduces inflammation. Nervous system overload and inflammation is a common byproduct of depression.

Exercise is a super effective anti-anxiety treatment

Mindfulness reduces stress and releases endorphins. Working out literally takes your mind off of your problems and worries. Endorphins make you feel good. Exercise can be a healthy part of your self care routine when you are in a period of high stress because not only is it a good distraction from what might be contributing to your anxiety, but it also triggers your brain to release a chemical that you literally can get 'high' from.

Exercise is, like, THEE best stress relief

Endorphins help release tension, relax muscles, and boost mood. Exercise also helps release cortisol, a stress response hormone. One thing about stress, though, it's a cycle. So while high stress can promote poor health, poor health also promotes high stress. The best thing you can do for your stress levels is to have a strong, healthy body and immune system. Consistent exercise improves the quality and longevity of your life.

Exercise is an amazing way to manage ADHD

Exercise improves concentration, motivation, memory, and mood. Did you know there's an actual protein that facilitates learning and memory? Yeah... it's called brain-derived neurotropic factor, and most people with ADHD don't have as much as people without it. Exercise improves executive function, the set of skills needed to plan, organize, and remember details. Maintaining a consistent workout schedule has also been known to improve impulse control and compulsive behavior.

Exercise is really good for the PTSD/Trauma response

Exercise improves your neurological "freeze" response to stress. Many mental health professionals note that their PTSD clients benefit from a structure fitness plan because it activates the parasympathetic stress response, which is the brain's way of calming the nervous system. Working out consistently also provides a predictable routine, which greatly helps to manage the anxiety symptoms of the stress response.

---

Other mental health benefits of exercise

Sharper memory and thinking. Exercise facilitates brain plasticity, the brain’s ability to grow new connections between neurons and pathways from important areas of the brain.

Higher self-esteem. Exercise can help you lose weight, tighten up those muscles, improve skin tone, and therefore you're more confident and happy. Getting those workout gains literally causes you to "project" a strong, confident aura into the world.

Better sleep. Exercise combats insomnia and otherwise low quality sleep by regulating the hormones associated with the parasympathetic response and the “feel good“ response that we talked about earlier.

More energy. Without getting too scientific, the more active you are, the more mitochondria your body produces to meet the increased need for energy production. The more of these you produce, the better you are at cell regeneration, energy (food) metabolization, and internal immune response from pathogens.

Reaping the mental health benefits of exercise is easier than you think

Even a little bit of activity is better than nothing.

You don’t have to suffer to get results

Overcoming obstacles to exercise

• Feeling exhausted.

• Feeling overwhelmed.

• Feeling hopeless.

• Feeling bad about yourself.

• Feeling pain.

Getting started with exercise when you have a mental health issue

Start small. It is important to take on small, manageable tasks one at a time to avoid getting overwhelmed. When dealing with mental health issues, it’s important to keep in mind that being in an extended period of overwhelm can trigger the stress response that belies the psychological condition.

Schedule workouts when your energy is highest. Be kind to yourself and set yourself up for success by choosing to workout during your peak hours. If you’re a morning person, by all means, get that sunrise run in. And if you’re a night owl, don’t go scheduling a 6 am workout. The key is for you to stick with the program!

Focus on activities you enjoy. It’s important to challenge your comfort zone, but when it comes to managing mental health, it’s also important to avoid becoming overwhelmed. By choosing an activity that resonates with your passions and interests, you boost you chances of optimizing the overall benefits to your wellness.

Be comfortable. A huge chunk of the goal of exercising for mental health is creating a reliable, consistent routine that triggers your parasympathetic stress response. Anything that challenges you, changes you. But if those challenges make you uncomfortable, DON’T DO IT! I don’t care what it is. There are other challenges that are actually enjoyable and make you feel good about yourself that you can try.

Reward yourself. Small incentives and rewards go a long way with anybody. When showing yourself love, it is important to celebrate your successes and victories no matter how small they may seem. So when you hit a milestone, treat yourself! You deserve it.

Easy ways to move more that don’t involve the gym

You want to get started, but don’t know where to start. And that itself can be stressful. Maybe you dont have access to a gym, but you need to get started a.s.a.p. Let’s work with what we got, ok??

Move in and around your home. Run a lap around the block. Hit the floor and do a plank or some push-ups. There are ways to use your body that don’t involve a gym or a huge financial investment.

Sneak activity in at work or on the go. Sometimes it feels like there’s not enough time in a day to get everything on our list completed. You can still create small opportunities to be active. Take the stairs. Do 30 squats before bed. Get up from your desk every hour and stretch. No matter your lifestyle, prioritize your health over everything.

Get active with the family. A little support goes a long way. Try getting your loved ones in on your journey. Not only does it help hold you accountable, it also boosts the feel-good aspect of having other people invested in the same goal.

Get creative with exercise ideas. Keep your workouts varied, progressive, and interesting. Your health journey involves your physical body, but if you’re mentally not into it, it starts to feel like ‘what’s the point?’

Make exercise a fun part of your everyday life.