Whether we like it or not, we have to admit that exercise has a lot of impact on our physical and mental health. No matter how busy we get, working out should always be a part of our schedules.
As well as keeping you fit and helping your body release tension, exercise is also very beneficial for your mental health.
If you’re looking for a way to improve your mental health and get out of your own mind, exercise can definitely help you do so.
Regardless of the intensity of the workout, your body and mind are both bound to benefit from it.
Processing stress for Mental Health
No matter how likely we are to admit it, stress really is the disease of the modern man. This mental health issue affects everyone regardless of age and gender. Some stress is normal, fine, and even healthy, but a lot can be very harmful to one’s body and psyche.
People who don’t know how to deal with stress often suffer from unstable weight, balding, grey hairs, and many other physical changes. In turn, this can cause them to feel less confident and less in control over their own minds and bodies.
After a while, it simply starts feeling like stress owns your life and that you can do nothing about it. That’s simply not true, though.
Your body stores stress in its muscles, which is why the first sign of stress is often a clenched jaw and very tense muscles. With a daily exercise program, these stress particles can be broken down and released, allowing you to once again feel like you’re in control of your own body.
Negative emotions can’t run your life when you get all of your frustrations out physically. Whether you choose cardio or strength training, you’re bound to feel much better when you let it all out. One other recommendation for this is definitely martial arts. They teach you how to channel those negative emotions, make you more disciplined, and clear your mind.
Once the stress is under control, you’re able to think normally again and run your life the way you like and want to. This also means there will be no more confidence problems.
Being calm can improve Mental Health
Serenity and calmness aren’t easy to obtain. Life’s worries usually get a hold of you and don’t let you breathe. This is especially true if you’re a busy person with a lot on your plate. A person shouldn’t and doesn’t have to worry so much, though. It’s easy to say “just be calm” and “forget about it” but what can you actually do about it?
Exercise helps you reach your place of Zen. For some people, this happens when they’re too physically tired to care about what’s going on. For these people, the best solution is to opt for high-intense exercise regimes that will allow them to just pass out afterwards. Source: unsplash.com
Yoga for Mental Health
If you belong to the other group, you’ll want to choose something of low-intensity. This other group of people uses exercise meditatively and finds ways to reach serenity through that. This can be achieved through exercises such as Yoga, which have meditation as a regular part of the session.
You can get to know a lot about yourself through meditation and you’ll be able to implement this knowledge in daily life in order to improve it.
As well as that, meditation improves your mental health and helps you get in touch with your subconscious. This can teach you how to deal with negative thoughts and worries. All of this is achieved hand in hand with core exercises for the body. Power Yoga could be an alternative for those who want something more hardcore but with the same meditative benefits.
Getting Enough Oxygen
Exercise is a great way to get your blood pumping. As it gets you moving, it gets everything inside of you moving as well. As blood carries oxygen, it is able to get to all the vital parts of the body easily thus improving its function. The most important part of the body which receives more oxygen is the brain. This improves cognitive function and makes you more able to tackle issues, focus, and think. For the best results, you should exercise surrounded by nature.
Now, there are many outdoor activities you can partake in that allow you to be closer to nature and nourish your brain with fresh oxygen. For just a small investment, you can get a quality road bicycle online or the hiking gear you need.
Try Getting on a Bike
Cycling and hiking are both great choices to get closer to nature and use exercise to fuel your lungs, body, and brain. Cycling can be a bit more adrenaline-inducing than hiking which is why it’s recommended for real adventurous souls. Of course, you can always take a meditative ride through the nature surrounding your city.
The Happy Chemicals that improve mental health
The happy chemicals, otherwise known as serotonin and dopamine, are the ones you need plenty of. Certain things in life stimulate the production of more happy hormones while others deplete them. Exercise definitely falls into the first category. By working out regularly, this can improve your mental health and reduce depression. You’ll also get a lot more dopamine and serotonin.
This directly affects your mood. Even though you’d say you’re miserable after working out, you’ll actually feel quite good. Maybe this won’t happen immediately after you finish the workout, but you have to give your body some time to actually start producing the chemicals.
Start slow and build up your skill before you move on to more high-intense workouts like HIIT. This will gradually build your love for exercise and ensure you’re getting enough dopamine and serotonin when you work out.
Conclusion
As you can see, exercise definitely has an amazing impact on your mental health. Whether you’re doing yoga, HIIT, or cycling, you’re making sure that your body and mind are in the best shape they can be. Exercising can help you deal with life a lot more easily and it will also show you a bright side of the world you didn’t think was there anymore.
Author Bio:
Lena Hemsworth is a lifestyle blogger, a foodie and a lover of a good book. She’s an everlasting enthusiast who believes that there is nothing better than starting your day with a hot cup of coffee.
Ken Weiss is a health blogger who is passionate about natural and holistic cures for men’s health issues. He is the founder of menshealthcures.com
