How Exercise Improves Mental Health

There is a lot of research around the health benefits of exercise. It’s well known that exercise can improve your physical health, but what about your mental health? This article will look at the different ways that exercise can help improve your mental health.

But in short, some ways exercise improves your mental health is by (1) decreasing symptoms of depression, (2) reducing anxiety and stress, and (3) improving self-esteem.

Let’s explore even more.

Exercise Decreases Symptoms of Depression

Depression is a mental illness characterized by a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest in once-pleasurable activities. It is also known as major depressive disorder (MDD) or clinical depression. People who are diagnosed with depression often lack energy and have difficulty sleeping, eating, and concentrating. The treatment for depression usually involves counseling, prescription medications, or both. In addition, many people with depression find that regular physical activity can help them feel better. Exercise has been shown to reduce symptoms of depression and may help prevent it.

According to a study published in the National Library of Medicine, exercise is an effective treatment for mild to moderate depression. University of South Australia researchers found that patients who exercised for 150 minutes per week had significant decreases in depressive symptoms compared to those who did not. This is especially good news for people who are not interested in taking medication for depression, as exercise offers a cheaper, side-effect free method of treatment. 

Another study by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) found that women who led a sedentary lifestyle were more likely to suffer from stress, anxiety, and depression. So exercise not only improves depression in the moment. It can also be a predicting factor for depression. So those who exercise are less likely to experience symptoms.

Exercise also helps by literally “activating” the body and mind. Depression does the opposite. It “depresses” the body and mind, sapping energy and the will to do anything. So by acting out the opposite of that you are fighting back against the depression. The James-Lang Theory of Emotion states that physical action precedes the emotion. So acting in a way contrary to the depression can reduce depressive symptoms physically and mentally.

Overall, it is common knowledge that exercise is great for depression so know harm in putting it to the test. 

Exercise Reduces Anxiety and Stress

Stress and anxiety are becoming serious issues in our society, affecting not only our happiness but also our health. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, 40 million American adults or 18% of the population suffer from anxiety. It is the most common mental illness in the US. Exercise is one of the best ways to cope with stress and anxiety. Exercise is a proven mood booster, and can be just as effective as medication in treating anxiety. The reason for this is that the body releases endorphins during exercise, and endorphins activate the dopamine reward system in the brain, which generates a feeling of well-being. Exercise also releases norepinephrine, which increases focus and mood. The important thing is to find an exercise you enjoy doing, whether it’s running, lifting weights, or playing tennis.

Exercise is great because it also helps you to really be present. When you are feeling anxious, you are in your head mostly concerned about things that don’t exist or haven’t happened yet. When you are engaged in a sport, you are hyper-focused on only that and your body is involved as well which helps you be more present. This offers an escape-like aspect to exercise similar to a drug but without the harmful effects. 

Exercise can also be fun and bring laughter and create social connections which are also beneficial to those that suffer from stress and anxiety. 

Exercise Improves Self-esteem

Exercise makes you feel good about yourself. It improves your self-esteem and it makes you more confident in your abilities. This happens a few different ways. First, this can be caused by the aesthetic benefits of exercising over a longer time. So you may be a healthier weight or be more muscular which can lead to higher self-esteem.

It can also be performance-based. It feels good to achieve goals and it gives you a sense of accomplishment and self-worth. So if you ran a mile faster than you ever have or had a personal record for a lift at the gym, you feel great! This can also be caused by improved skills in a particular sport.

Your self-esteem can also increase simply because you are doing something that you know is good for you. Everyone knows they should exercise but few do. So when you do, you feel like a productive and accomplished person when compared to others. It’s always great to have a win during the day because even if everything else is going bad you can tell yourself that you exercised that day.

Conclusion

Exercise is a key part of how you can improve your mental health. The research is clear that exercise will not only improve your mental health but also your physical health. You will have more energy, less disease, and live longer. The world has become increasingly depressed and anxious and it could be due in part to the decrease in physical activity and our sedentary lifestyles. So get outside, to the gym, or to your living room. You can exercise anywhere and we could all use some improvement to our mental health.