14 Mental health benefits of Exercise

Most of us know the many physical benefits of exercise: for example weight control, lower blood pressure, reduced risk of diabetes, and increased energy, etc.

Have you ever thought about the psychological benefits of exercise? 

Exercise not only affects your physical health but also there is some incredible psychological benefits of exercise the positive effects on your overall mental health and wellbeing.

1.  Daily exercise can reduce your stress and symptoms of mental health conditions like depression and anxiety, and help with recovery from mental health issues.

2. Running for 15 minutes a day or walking for 1 Hour can reduce the risk of major depression by 26%

3. Exercise releases chemicals like endorphins and serotonin that improve your mood. Help you feel relax, less pain, more pleasure, and reduce cortisol.

4. Exercise also help people recover from a stroke and many other illnesses and conditions

5. Physical activity helps to relax the muscles and relieve tension in the body.

6. Its Boosts mental health, as exercise is a scientifically proven mood booster, decreasing symptoms of both depression and anxiety.

7. Physical activity releases endorphins, powerful chemicals in your brain that energize your spirits and make you feel good. Studies show that exercise can treat mild to moderate depression as effectively as antidepressant medication.

8. It increases the size of the hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for memory, also increases the connections between the nerve cells in the brain, which improves your memory and helps protect your brain against injury and disease Studies on mice and humans indicate that cardiovascular exercise creates new brain cells—a process called neurogenesis—and improve overall brain performance. It also prevents cognitive decline and memory loss by strengthening the hippocampus. Studies also prove that physical activity boosts creativity and mental energy.

9. Another mental benefit of exercise is reduced stress levels—something that can make us all happier. Increasing your heart rate can actually reverse stress-induced brain damage by stimulating the production of neurohormones. Exercise also forces the body’s central and sympathetic nervous systems to communicate with one another, improving the body’s overall ability to respond to stress.

10. Exercise also Increases your self-esteem and self-confidence by losing weight loss and improving your mental health, you feel good about yourself, that positively effects your personality.  Your self-worth and make you feel strong and powerful. You’ll feel better about your appearance and, by meeting even small exercise goals, you’ll feel a sense of achievement.

11. Another psychological benefit of exercise is better sleep, exercise in the morning or afternoon can help regulate your sleep patterns., relaxing exercises at night such as yoga or gentle stretching can help promote sleep.

12. Exercising regularly is one of the easiest and most effective ways to reduce the symptoms of ADHD and improve concentration, motivation, memory, and mood. Physical activity immediately boosts the brain’s dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin levels—all of which affect focus and attention

13.  Exercise helps to reduce the symptoms of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) , paying close attention to the physical sensations in your joints and muscles, even your insides as your body moves. Exercises that involve cross movement and that engage both arms and legs—such as walking (especially in sand), running, swimming, weight training, or dancing—are some of your best choices. Outdoor activities like hiking, sailing, mountain biking, rock climbing, white  water rafting, and skiing (downhill and cross-country) also shown best for PTSD symptoms

14. Exercise can help you build resilience and cope in a healthy way, When faced with mental or emotional challenges in life, it builds stronger resilience instead of resorting to alcohol, drugs, or other negative behaviours that ultimately only make your symptoms worse. Regular exercise can also help boost your immune system and reduce the impact of stress.