Everyone knows about the necessity of physical activity in the well-being of a body. Did you know that moving is also important for the welfare of your mind? Exercising contributes to the production of hormones and neurotransmitters responsible for the feeling of being well.
During our lengthy period of keeping ourselves in one place, our bodies are suffering to keep us in such positions. That urge to move should be related to a need to rebalance the production of dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins in the human body. An imbalance of these hormones leads to mental disorders and, in particular, depression.
Physical exercise, therefore, plays the most important role in mental health. Based on this article below, we will see what the main benefits of physical activity are for mental health.
Physical activity: discover 6 benefits for mental health
Including some sort of physical activity in your schedule is important for keeping you fit both physically and mentally. The equilibrium between body and mind is what makes it possible to really enjoy life. Below are some of the 6 main benefits of regular exercise on mental health.
1. Stress reduction
Every day, we face stress causes either in personal or professional life. If you can’t avoid factors that cause stress then you should know a way to release the stress obtained in one week.
As soon as you stop releasing this cause of stress, this hormone associated with it-cortisol-starts to accumulate in your body. It develops with time and adversely affects the body.
Elevated levels of cortisol in the body cause difficulties with learning, overweightness, poor memory, decreased appetite, among others. Continuous exercising reduces high levels of cortisol in the body.
For those people who fail to disengage from work-related ideas, they are advised to exercise Pilates and Yoga. They regulate the mental flow of thoughts hence purifying the mind.
2. Better quality sleep
Those who exercise regularly achieve better quality sleep , reducing problems such as insomnia, for example. A practical way to control sleep issues is to establish fixed schedules. If your body has a set time to exercise, it will get used to sleeping at the right time.
Keeping moving helps your body understand when it is time to rest. Sleep deprivation significantly affects mood; a person who has difficulty sleeping tends to be more irritable.
Sleeping too little and/or poorly generates feelings of fatigue, being overweight, mental confusion, muscle pain, etc. Controlling your sleep rhythm better with the help of physical activities helps to greatly improve your mental health.
3. Balance of hormone production
Regular physical activity has a great impact on the amount of feel-good hormones produced. Movement helps increase serotonin production, a neurotransmitter responsible for happiness. High levels of serotonin in the body can decrease stress and reduce migraines.
Physical exercise also helps increase the production of dopamine. Its major benefits include mood regulation and stress reduction. It also facilitates improvement in motor functions and concentration.
This means that you will leave behind a sedentary lifestyle and increase the production of endorphins, which tends to help you regulate your nervous system functions. The more endorphins your body contains, the less tense and relaxed it will be. Generally, regular practice of physical activities tends to enhance feelings of happiness.
4. More energy for daily activities
Remember what we mentioned above that practicing physical activities helps boost the production of endorphins? This increase also helps you to be more willing to carry out daily activities. The production of endorphins triggers messages that make the body feel more relaxed.
Feeling more energetic also improves your self-esteem, as you start to do better at achieving your goals. If you have been having difficulty performing your daily tasks, we recommend that you start doing physical activities to feel more energetic.
5. Disease prevention
Some hours of physical activity each week reduce high cholesterol and blood sugar, alongside preventing cardiovascular disease, diabetes, muscle pain, cancer, and muscle aches. It’s the old maxim: a healthy body, a healthy mind. So practicing physical activity regularly helps to decrease the risk of developing mental disorders.
Moving your body leads to better blood circulation, heart rate regulation and muscle strengthening. When we feel physically well, it is natural that this is reflected in a greater sense of mental well-being. If the body is experiencing some problem, in turn, it is natural to feel emotionally shaken.
6. Reduction of some symptoms of mental disorders
Balancing the production of so-called happiness hormones helps reduce the symptoms of some mental disorders. These disorders include Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Anxiety , Depression and Panic Syndrome.
High levels of cortisol (stress hormone), lack of sleep, and feelings of malaise lead to prolonged feelings of stress. A stressed mind is constantly on alert. The individual begins to see threats and sources of irritation in different places. The brain tends to become overloaded with high levels of tension.
Whereas different treatments allow for only indirect control over the symptoms of mental disorders, engaging in physical activities can easily help combat this pathogenic state. Therefore, proper monitoring is necessary for the control of symptoms based on physical activity. Therefore, it is great that physical activities aid in enhanced effects of treatments recommended by a health professional. Hence, proper follow-up with your psychologist or psychiatrist is important.