Exercise improves mental health. No surprise there. Simple to see such things as improved circulation, less inflammation, improved mood, behavioral changes that are positive. So says Shirley Archer, author of Pilates Fusion: Well-Being for Body, Mind and Spirit.
Physical activity improves the health of our brains by easing risk factors for mental health issues: diabetes, blood pressure, heart disease, and inflammation. As blood flow is increased, nutrition is delivered more effectively and energy is gained. A lack of physical activity intensifies depression, such that simply getting more active is a natural anti-depressant – a recommendation I make regularly to patients that are depressed. Much the same with anxiety, which is eased by more intensive physical activity.
Stress is an inherent part of the demands of exercise, but in healthy ways. Thus, regular exercise enhances a
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Having an exercise program that regularly shifts activities and levels of demand, keeps us off a rote process that becomes automatic without much learning at all. This process of learning and mastering new skills helps us earn feelings of self-esteem through concrete achievement.
If the exercise is shared in some ways, with others directly, or at least present, there is some social aspect as well. Social contact is inherently helpful for someone’s mood if the contact is pleasant and rewarding.
A workout that demands attention prompts a focus on the here-and-now. Being present in this mindful way automatically distracts away from negative thoughts, ruminations and worries that often are an inherent part of depression or anxiety. There is growing evidence about the benefits of mindfulness on mood and well-being, and exercise is one active form of mindfulness. As one of my longtime colleagues has expressed it: “It’s a moving
Keteyian, Dr. Steven(2000, October 10). Exercise Boosts Mental, Physical Health. Retrieved April 12, 2005, from http://psycport.com/news/2000/10/10/DTNS/000-0286-Keyword.Missing.html
Some hypothesize that moderate levels of exercise will decrease the symptoms of mental health conditions (Blumenthal et al., 2007; Diaz & Motta, 2008; Motta, Kuligowski, & Marino, 2010; Rosenbaum, Nguyen, Lenehan, Tiedemann, van der Ploeg, & Sherrington, 2011) and therefore be used as an alternative or complimentary treatment option for mental health (Libby, Pilver, & Desai, 2012).
Exercise is often thought of in a positive light. It is common belief in today’s society that a healthy diet and a regular exercise routine will lead to a long, healthy life. And in the simplest sense of the word, it will. It has been a tried and true method to control and lose weight, lift a person’s mood, boost energy, combat a variety of health conditions and diseases, promote better sleep patterns, and even increase libido. (Mayo Clinic, July 23, 2011). So with all of these being possible and probable benefits of working out, why would it possibly be anything other than good? Certainly, something with so many benefits can’t be a bad thing? However, we may overlook the fact that it is like any good thing; in excess it can become dangerous very quickly. In society, there are increasingly more athletes that are pushing themselves so hard to the point they are making themselves sick. Whatever happened to exercising for simple joy, or competing because of a love for sport? The motivations behind an individual’s exercise habits are directly related to whether they develop an addiction. There is even a term for this over exercising phenomenon: Exercise Addiction, or Exercise Dependence.
Exercising releases endorphins which reduces stress, wards off depression, and can improve body-image. Endorphins trigger a positive feeling in the body, similar to that of most pain medications. For example, the feeling that follows a run or workout is often described as "euphoric." That feeling, known as a "runner's high," can be accompanied by a positive energizing, outlook on life and improved body image. This euphoric feeling can ward off depression, stress, and anxiety because when people feel happier, they tend to worry less and become more optimistic.
Continual exercise has lead to positive changes in my body as it becomes more fit and lean. Seeing a change in my figure also leads me to feel better about myself and not only has a positive effect on how I see myself but also how I view others. My mood is overall lifted. I find that I do best and am most committed to exercise when I have a goal I am trying to reach. Having a goal is an easy way for me to stay motivated and continue to better myself
All over the world, it is believed that physical exercises help people achieve wellness. Physical exercise not only encourages physical wellness but also have a significant impact on mental stability and health. Although such positive believes stand, many benefits of physical activity has lost value overtime, as people nowadays have the tendency to rely on modern technologies and machineries, which are believe to make life easier. This often leads to shortage of physical activity and over sometime both physical and mental health will deteriorate. This argumentative essay, will explain how engaging in physical exercises improve one’s mental health.
It also improves your memory and thinking skills. For example , the article “The Mental Health Benefits of Exercise” says that, “Regular exercise can have a profoundly positive impact on depression, anxiety, ADHD, and more. It also relieves stress, improves memory, helps you sleep better, and boosts overall mood”. Physical activity helps the abundance and survival of new brain cells too.
Physical exercise can also help someone lose weight, lower blood pressure, and may even assist in physical appearance (Physical, 2015). Recent studies suggest that physical exercise can even increase your happiness (Rimer, 2011). Exercise can release growth factors, improve mood and sleep and can reduce stress and anxiety. By reducing stress anxiety, memory can be improved because stress and anxiety are factors that can impair your memory or cognitive skills (Godman, 2014). Exercise changes the brain by protecting and maintaining your memory and thinking skills (Godman,
Life is full of troubles, demands, pressures and hassles—these are all factors related to stress. Stress is a state of mental or emotional tension resulting from adverse or difficult situations (Merriam-Webster). When you are in potential danger, your body responds with a “fight-or-flight” response to protect you from any harm. Situations like being robbed at gunpoint or studying last minute the night before the test can activate stress in your body. Although situations in life can increase stress, there are plenty of methods to diminish it. Methods like meditating, talking to family/friends, drinking tea, or even taking a quick nap--all of these methods are proven effective (The Franklin Institute). One method that is prominent to many is physical exercise. Exercise is considered to improve physical conditions and strength, but maintains mental fitness in the process. Although many assume that exercising is healthy, some may not be familiar of how it relieves stress in detail. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of exercise, the pros and cons must be considered. Some pros are: managing the levels of stress in your body, boosting your self-esteem, and improving learning and memory. The cons are: being time consuming and tedious, being costly and expensive, and risking injury while exercising. Let’s look at the pros of physical activity.
Exercise is beneficial to one’s health because it improves how you feel. Regular physical activity can help improve a person’s mood, and lead to a more positive attitude. The article “Exercise: 6 Benefits of Regular Physical Activity” by the Mayo Clinic states, “physical activity stimulates various brain chemicals that may leave you feeling happier and more relaxed.” A better overall mood can make one more approachable and enjoyable to be around. Also, your mood, or how you feel, dictates how one performs
Adding exercises into one’s daily routines can change their whole lifestyle. Many people look at exercise as being something just for people who want to lose weight or to become muscle bound, but there are a great deal of benefits that can be received from exercising regularly. Of course gaining muscle and losing fat are the two most popular reasons that usually attract people to the gym, but they make up a small part of the potential benefits that can be achieved with exercise. There are several ways in which I have benefited in my life from exercising regularly, besides just making me bigger and stronger. It has made me become more organized, helped me make better decisions, and motivated me to take on new challenges in life.
It is understandable that friends, family and a social life exists and that also needs to be taking care of. Exercise reduces stress, improves your sleep and from it allows you to gain a social aspect consider as new friends. If exercised daily or even when there is time during the week it will improve and change your life allowing you to not fall asleep or be tired all the time. It will reduce stress by being distracted on productive activities like playing tennis, going hiking, running at the park or even walking around the neighborhood. This activities when applied are best rather than thinking about work all the time, even on days off, this activities will have a positive impact on depression, anxiety and help your body use oxygen more efficiently to improve breathing. As you pick up the pace, the body, like any engine, produces heat — and needs to cool off. The blood vessels in the skin dilate, increasing blood flow to the skin. The heat then dissipates through the skin into the air.
Exercising helps in many different ways such as gaining muscular strength and ability. A person's desire is to lose weight and have a perfect toned figure, but it also helps ease a lot of other conditions as well. Exercising is considered to be a mood booster. It helps improve self esteem and will lower depression. It will make a person a lot happier, and will help bring a positive reaction in the body. Physical activity is very important for obesity. It is really important for obese children or adults to get some form of exercise in their lives. It can be very beneficial for them and can help prevent long term illnesses. People that exercise on a daily basis do it because it helps them feel more positive about themselves and they will be more energized, motivated and focused for the day. It gives people an excessive amount of happiness.
Improving your mood and boosting your energy also comes from exercising. The physical activity activates different chemicals in your brain that makes you happier and more relaxed. When exercise is done regularly, it can also lead to making a person gain more self-esteem and being more confident in appearance. Also,...
Physical fitness have numerous benefits including muscle strength, muscular endurance, brain activity, preventing obesity and lowering risk or major body problems. Reduces gaining weight, improves losing weight and less likely to have accidents later in life. Also improves ones lifespan, living a healthier life and improves sleeping. Physical activity helps reduce ones stress, anxiety, and depression also improves over all life. A half hour or so of physical activity daily can yield benefits. Also can improve ones flexibility (Brezina), which can effe...