Fitness and Its Effect on Well-Being
Exercise promotes all kinds of changes in the brain, including neural growth, reduced inflammation, and new activity patterns that promote feelings of calmness and well-being.
Everyone knows that regular exercise is good for the body. But exercise is also one of the most effective ways to improve your mental health. Regular exercise can have a profoundly positive impact on depression, anxiety and more. It also relieves stress, improves memory, helps you sleep better, and boosts your overall mood. And you don’t have to be a fitness fanatic to reap the benefits. Research indicates that even modest amounts of exercise can make a difference. No matter your age or fitness level, you can learn to use exercise as a powerful tool to feel better.
Life can be hard on us sometimes. From an outsider’s perspective, many of us are perceived as the person who has it all. Sometimes scrolling through Instagram makes you believe that. Have you ever scrolled through your own Instagram and asked yourself why your life isn’t as good as someone else’s? All of us go bad experiences, and moments that later on become a learning experience. Overthinking just causes stress on our bodies and then affects us down the road. Have you ever dealt with an upsetting situation where all you wanted to do was punch something, or had a hard time distracting your mind from such negativity? I know I have. We all go through ups and downs but we all find a way to improve ourselves. If you know someone who’s always smiling that doesn’t mean that he or she always happy and everything is perfect. Some of us hide these negative emotions and somehow push them through trusting that everything will be ok.
Fitness played a huge role in my life. During tough times, I work out so it can distract my mind from all the negativity around me. Working out is a healing process for me. When I get to the gym and start lifting the weights, all my problems fade away and all my attention is focused on working out hard to get what I want. For me, lifting weights has helped me become stronger to get out of my comfort zone and become more in tune with myself. Having a fitness routine really helps overcome all the stress that have piled on. Going to the gym is a good way to improve yourself mentally and physically.
Mental health benefits of exercise
Exercise is not just about aerobic capacity and muscle size. Sure, exercise can improve your physical health and your physique, trim your waistline, improve your sex life, and even add years to your life. But that’s not what motivates most people to stay active. People who exercise regularly tend to do so because it gives them an enormous sense of well-being. They feel more energetic throughout the day, sleep better at night, have sharper memories, and feel more relaxed and positive about themselves and their lives. And it’s also powerful medicine for many common mental health challenges.
Exercise and depression: Exercise is a powerful depression fighter for several reasons. Most importantly, it promotes all kinds of changes in the brain, including neural growth, reduced inflammation, and new activity patterns that promote feelings of calmness and well-being. It also releases endorphins, powerful chemicals in your brain that energize your spirits and make you feel good. Finally, exercise can also serve as a distraction, allowing you to find some quiet time to break out of the cycle of negative thoughts that feed depression.
Exercise and anxiety: Exercise is a natural and effective anti-anxiety treatment. It relieves tension and stress, boosts physical and mental energy, and enhances well-being through the release of endorphins. Exercise not only improves your physical condition, but also interrupts the flow of constant worries running through your head.
Exercise and stress: Ever noticed how your body feels when you’re under stress? Your muscles may be tense, especially in your face, neck, and shoulders, leaving you with back or neck pain, or painful headaches. The worry and discomfort of all these physical symptoms can in turn lead to even more stress, creating a vicious cycle between your mind and body. Exercising is an effective way to break this cycle. As well as releasing endorphins in the brain, physical activity helps you to relax the muscles and relieve tension in the body. Since the body and mind are so closely linked, when your body feels better so, too, will your mind.
