How can physical activity help my mental health?
Everyone knows that physical activity is good for your body – helping to keep a healthy heart while improving your bones and joints. But exercise isn’t only good for your physical health. Being active releases chemicals in your brain that make you feel good – boosting your self-esteem and helping you concentrate as well as sleep well and feel better.
There are many studies that have shown that by doing exercise or physical activity, you can improve your mental health and wellbeing. Mental wellbeing does not have a singular definition, but it does encompass factors such as:
Feeling good about yourself and therefore functioning well both individually and in relationships.
Having the ability to deal with the ups and downs of life with healthy coping mechanisms and tools.
Being able to feel a connection to your community and surroundings.
Having a sense of purpose and feeling valued.
By being active, you are giving your brain something to focus on and this can be a positive coping strategy during difficult times. It’s already well known that exercise increases your quality of sleep, as well as reducing stress and anxiety thanks to the rise in cortisol. Research on employed adults has found that highly active individuals tend to have lower stress rates than less active individuals.
But did you know that exercising can have a positive impact on your self-esteem? How about that it can reduce your risk or severity of depression? Physical activity can be an alternative treatment for depression and may also help treat clinical anxiety.
Sometimes exercise can seem like an impossible challenge while you’re having a tough time or if you’re feeling unwell, so don’t be too hard on yourself if you’re just not up to it.
