Exercise & Mental Health
May is “Mental Health Awareness Month,” so what better time to share some of the ways exercise can benefit—and even improve—your mental health?!
You have probably already heard some of this by now, especially if you’re in our Facebook group but we want to make sure to share the information in as many places as possible because mental health affects everyone and is seriously important to overall wellbeing.
Here are just some of the ways that adding exercise to your daily routine can help you not only get fit but improve your mental health too!
Exercise helps you sleep. Okay, great. But what does that have to do with mental health? Glad you asked!
Getting enough good quality sleep improves mental focus, resilience to stress, and overall recovery from day to day.
Being more resilient to stress means you’ll be able to bounce back from the hard things that life throws your way with much less difficulty, and being more focused means you’ll likely experience better results in all areas of your life!
The best part is, you don’t have to wait long to start seeing results. With just 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise you’re bound to notice improvements in sleep that very same night!
Exercise helps you respond to, and manage, stress more better. Did you know that with regular exercise your body actually releases fewer stress hormones when stress does occur?
You may not be able to control all of the stressors life throws your way but you can certainly prepare yourself to take them on like a boss and recover from them more easily!
Not only does exercise help with keeping stress hormones from getting out of control, it also causes your body to release endorphins, leading to increased physical and mental energy and less intense feelings of stress and anxiety.
Even something as small as a 10-minute walk can lead to improved energy and decreased physical and mental tension. Maybe reaching for your walking shoes rather than your favorite sweet treat the next time you’re feeling stressed is just the thing you need!
Exercise leads to sharper memory and thinking. Your brain benefits from exercise through increased blood flow and the release of important chemicals that help support brain function and structure, leading to better mental processing.
You may also find that you’re able to plan, organize, and coordinate more effectively when you exercise regularly. Not only that, exercise also helps improve learning and memory across the lifespan—that means no matter what age you are, exercise helps your brain!
When it comes to more serious mental health topics like depression, exercise can help there too. A recent study from Harvard University saw up to a 26% decrease the odds of becoming depressed when physical activity was added.
Of course, always seek professional medical care if you are, or may be, struggling with depression. There are a number of resources available online and we are always here if you need help finding a provider. Please send us an email and let us know how we can help.
Better sleep, improved resilience to stress, less anxiety, and greater brain power? It’s really hard to go wrong!
So how can you start incorporating exercise into your routine? Here’s some of our best advice…
Make it a habit first. Rather than jumping into an intense routine you may or may not be able to sustain, try starting small. Choose an activity or amount of exercise you are guaranteed to complete every single day.
This can be as small as a 5-10 minute walk each day. When that feels easy, add 5-10 more minutes until you’re consistently logging 30-60 minutes on most days of the week.
Once you’ve nailed down a walking routine, choose something a bit more intense to add to the mix a few days per week. Strength training is a great idea! Of course, choosing something that you will stay consistent with is the most important thing.
Find a local class, a group of friends, and/or a coach to help you stay accountable as well as make your fitness routine more fun!
Beginning an exercise routine like one of our free kettlebell programs is another great way start feeling great inside and out!
Getting started with exercise is often the hardest part but once you start seeing and feeling the results, you will never want to give it up. Stick with it and reach out if you need help!