Many people hit the gym or pound the pavement to improve cardiovascular health, build muscle, and of course, get a rockin’ bod, but working out has above-the-neck benefits, too. For the past decade or so, scientists have pondered how exercising can boost brain function.
Regardless of age or fitness level, studies show that making time for exercise provides some serious mental benefits. Get inspired to exercise by reading up on these unexpected ways that working out can benefit mental health, relationships and lead to a healthier and happier life overall.
1. Reduces Stress
Rough day at the office? Take a walk or head to the gym for a quick workout. One of the most common mental benefits of exercise is stress relief. Working up a sweat can help manage physical and mental stress.
Increasing your heart rate can actually reverse stress-induced brain damage by stimulating the production of neurohormones like norepinephrine, which not only improve cognition and mood but improve thinking clouded by stressful events. 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.
Go ahead and get sweaty! Working out can reduce stress and boost the body’s ability to deal with existing mental tension. Win-win!
2. Boosts Happy Chemicals
Slogging through a few miles on the ‘mill can be tough, but it’s worth the effort! Exercise releases endorphins, which create feelings of happiness and euphoria. Studies have shown that exercise can even alleviate symptoms among the clinically depressed (1). For this reason, docs recommend that people suffering from depression or anxiety or those who are just feeling blue pencil in plenty of gym time.
In some cases, exercise can be just as effective as antidepressant pills in treating depression. Don’t worry if you’re not exactly the gym rat type, getting a happy buzz from working out for just 30 minutes a few times a week can instantly boost overall mood (2).
3. Increases Self-esteem and Self-confidence
On a very basic level, physical fitness can boost self-esteem and improve positive self-image (3). From improving endurance to losing weight and increasing muscle tone, there’s no shortage of physical achievements that come about from regular exercise. All of these achievements can help you feel more comfortable and confident about yourself. You may not set out for better-fitting clothes, a slimmer physique, and the ability to climb a hill without getting winded. Oftentimes it happens before you even realize it. It’s just one of the many benefits of physical activity that boost your body, mind, and spirit.
4. Promotes Better sleep
If you have trouble getting a good night’s sleep, exercise can help with that, too. Physical activity increases body temperature, which can have calming effects on the mind, leading to less sheep counting and more shuteye. Exercise also helps regulate your circadian rhythm, our bodies’ built-in alarm clock that controls when we feel tired and when we feel alert. Although improved sleep is a psychological benefit of exercise, sleep experts recommend not exercising close to bedtime.
5. Fun in the Great Outdoors
For an extra boost of self-love, take that workout outside. Exercising in the great outdoors can increase self-esteem even more (4). Find an outdoor workout that fits your style, whether it’s rock-climbing, hiking, renting a canoe or just taking a jog in the park. Plus, all that Vitamin D acquired from soaking up the sun can lessen the likelihood of experiencing depressive symptoms. Why book a spa day when a little fresh air, sunshine, and exercise can work wonders for self-confidence and happiness?
6. Prevents Cognitive Decline
It’s unpleasant, but it’s true that as we get older, our brains get a little hazy. As aging and degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s kill off brain cells, the noggin actually shrinks, losing many important brain functions in the process. While exercise and a healthy diet can’t “cure” Alzheimer’s, they can help shore up the brain against cognitive decline (5) that begins after age 45. Working out, especially between age 25 and 45, boosts the chemicals in the brain that support, and prevent degeneration of the hippocampus, an important part of the brain for memory and learning.
7. Alleviates Anxiety
Which is better at relieving anxiety, a warm bubble bath or a 20-minute jog? You might be surprised at the answer. The warm and fuzzy chemicals that are released during and after exercise can help people with anxiety disorders calm down. Hopping on the track or treadmill for some moderate-to-high intensity aerobic exercise can reduce anxiety sensitivity (6).
8. Improves Brain Power
From building intelligence to strengthening memory, exercise boosts brain power in a number of ways. Studies on mice and humans indicate that cardiovascular exercise creates new brain cells, a process called neurogenesis and improves overall brain performance. It also prevents cognitive decline and memory loss by strengthening the hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for memory and learning. Studies also prove that physical activity boosts creativity and mental energy. So if you’re in need of inspiration, your big idea could be just a walk or jog away.
Various studies on mice and men have shown that cardiovascular exercise can create new brain cells also known as neurogenesis and improve overall brain performance (7, 8). Studies suggest that a tough workout increases levels of a brain-derived protein or BDNF in the body, believed to help with decision making, higher thinking and learning.
9. Sharpens Memory
Regular physical activity boosts memory and ability to learn new things. Getting sweaty increases production of cells in the hippocampus responsible for memory and learning (9). For this reason, research has linked children’s brain development with level of physical fitness (10). But exercise-based brainpower isn’t just for kids; working out can boost memory among grown-ups, too. A study showed that running sprints improve vocabulary retention among healthy adults (11).
10. Controls Addiction
The brain releases dopamine, the “reward chemical” in response to any form of pleasure, be that exercise, sex, drugs, alcohol or food. Unfortunately, some people become addicted to dopamine and dependent on the substances that produce it, like drugs or alcohol and more rarely, food and sex. On the bright side, exercise can help in addiction recovery (12). Short exercise sessions can also effectively distract drug or alcohol addicts, making them de-prioritize cravings at least in the short term (13).
Working out when on the wagon has other benefits, too. Alcohol abuse disrupts many body processes, including circadian rhythms. As a result, alcoholics find they can’t fall asleep or stay asleep without drinking. Exercise can help reboot the body clock, helping people hit the hay at the right time (14).
11. Helps Patients with ADHD, PTSD and Trauma
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. In this way, exercise works in much the same way as ADHD medications such as Ritalin and Adderall.
Evidence suggests that by really focusing on your body and how it feels as you exercise, you can actually help your nervous system become “unstuck” and begin to move out of the immobilization stress response that characterizes PTSD or trauma. Instead of allowing your mind to wander, pay 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 in sand, running, swimming, weight training, or dancing are some of your best choices. Outdoor activities like hiking, sailing, mountain biking, rock climbing, whitewater rafting, and skiing have also been shown to reduce the symptoms of PTSD.
12. Taps Creativity
Most people end a tough workout with a hot shower, but maybe we should be breaking out the colored pencils instead. A heart-pumping gym session can boost creativity for up to two hours afterwards (15).
Supercharge post-workout inspiration by exercising outdoors and interacting with nature. Next time you need a burst of creative thinking, hit the trails for a long walk or run to refresh the body and the brain at the same time (16).
How Often Should You Exercise for Mental Health Benefits?
If three sessions a week sounds unachievable just now, don’t worry, starting small with just one session a week once a week is enough to make a difference. An Australian research team found that 12 per cent of cases of depression could be prevented if participants took part in just one hour of physical activity each week.
GPs nationwide prescribe exercise as a treatment for depression, among other conditions, and The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends that those suffering from mild to moderate depression take part in three activity sessions ranging from 45 minutes to an hour in duration over a period of 10 to 14 weeks to reap the benefits of mood-elevating exercise.
Exercises to Boost Mental Health
Here are a few ideas of activities that have been known to give mental health sufferers a lift, other in more ways than one!
1. Walking
The simplest, most accessible and most affordable exercise of all, don’t knock a bit of a ramble until you’ve tried it. Experts endorse putting one foot in front of the other in order to improve mental wellbeing.
A small ten-minute walk in nature can be of huge benefit to mental health. What is very important to remember is that moving your body, in a way that is effortless and enjoyable, is the best way to start. Don’t put too many harsh goals down. If you do that it will be less likely that you will want to do it, and in turn it just doesn’t get done.
Research has found that low-intensity aerobic activity is the best form of exercise for encouraging positive thoughts and improving alertness, so starting off slow and building up pace and distance as you go could have a big payoff in terms of making mental health strides. Gentle, low impact exercise may also be the best choice initially if you suffer with a physical health problem or are prone to panic attacks, which can affect breathing.
Walking is probably the most accessible of all exercises in the current climate and there’s something ever-so satisfying about clocking up the steps on your activity tracker. For a little extra motivation invite your friends to the walking challenges using different apps. It sends you reminders when your friends have overtaken you, inspiring you to start making strides even if it is just around your house.
2. Yoga
Perhaps a bit of an obvious choice, but if you’d like to complement walking with something a little more dynamic or stretching, yoga could be just the thing.
Yoga’s superpower when it comes to mental health benefits is the way it uses breathing. Taking long deep steady breaths is a way of cutting through all those destructive thought loops that can be so hard to get out of. Calming the breath puts the nervous system into its rest and digest mode and takes it out of the anxious or panicky fight-or-flight response, which is characterized by shallow rapid breathing.
Simply by taking long slow out-breaths, which you are guided to do in a yoga class, you can trick your nervous system into feeling that you are not under attack and are safe. On top of that, yoga puts your body through all planes of movement and helps you see the word from new angles in interesting poses. After a session of yoga, your problem-solving abilities tend to improve and you find a new perspective around whatever was bothering you. It helps you get unstuck both physically and mentally.
Not all yoga involves chanting but if your teacher starts the class with an Om or chant, there’s a good mental health reason to join in. Chanting and singing have been shown to tone the vagus nerve, which runs down the back of your throat and is an important regulator of your nervous system.
If you’re struggling to establish a mind-body connection in other forms of exercise, schedule in a yoga session and see how it makes you feel. Lose the perception that you have to be bendy or ‘good at yoga’ to do yoga. It’s not about how good you are at making ‘yoga shapes’, but how putting yourself in postures makes you feel on the inside. If it’s any consolation, really bendy people may find certain poses so easy that they are not feeling any progression or developing their strength, leaving their mind to get distracted and wander.
The most important thing is to find a style that you like and will stick with. Look out for hatha, restorative or yin if you want to move at a slower pace or more active vinyasa flow and ashtanga styles to get your heart rate up or if you are Type-A person who likes a sweaty challenge.
3. Swimming
Another low-impact, non-weight-bearing option to experience a mental health boost is incorporating just ten minutes of swimming into their daily routine. Swimming and being in water can help with relaxation.
Swimming has significantly reduced the symptoms of anxiety or depression for 1.4 million adults in Britain. Almost half a million British adults with mental health problems have stated that the number of visits to a medical professional regarding their mental health has reduced as a result of swimming.
Another important thing is whether or not you enjoy it; if you hate every second in the water, get out and give something else a go instead. Feeling enthused about the activity you do take part in is as important as the physical benefits you’ll gain. Think about how you are going to feel afterwards and also notice how you are thinking about the exercise beforehand. In other words, when you get your mind right, you get the right actions out of it. You have to have the right thoughts in your mind first before you take the action.
Start off small and build up your swimming levels at a pace that works for you. Even small amounts of swimming can give you a natural energy boost.
You can also ask someone you trust to help you get started. Swimming pools should allow you to attend with a friend or support worker for the first few sessions while you get used to the new surroundings.
4. Dancing
Dancing is often associated with being happy, but even if you’re not feeling on top of the world, getting yourself into the rhythm can mean that self-esteem gradually increases as you lose yourself in the moves.
It’s easy to do dance classes from the comfort of your home! You don’t need kettlebells or resistance bands; just you and your sense of rhythm and the latter isn’t even that important, as long as you’re enjoying the session. There are several live classes running on different TV channels and social media platforms. Tune in now and start dancing for better physical and mental health!
5. Cycling
There’s nothing quite like free-wheeling down a hill on your bike, feeling the wind in your hair blow the cobwebs and worries away. Cycling can help boost your mental health in many ways!
Cycling pumps blood around your body at a greater rate which allows for the rapid spread of endorphins and other good substances like dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin.
Self-Esteem, depression, anxiety and stress are all positively affected through exercise, but the nature of cycling has been shown to be one of the most effective activities for the head and heart.
Regular riding also helps synchronize your circadian rhythm and can help to reduce levels of stress hormones that can make proper regenerative, deep sleep difficult.
The regular, uniform movement of cycling has a relaxing effect on the brain, stabilizing both physical and mental function. It builds new brain cells that are responsible for memory.
Cycling promotes new thought patterns that promote feelings of calm and wellbeing. It can be a great way to “zone out,” but you can even use it for a form of meditation.
Concentrate on the actions, each movement of your legs, the rhythm of your breathing, the wind on your face. Focus only on the physical sensations and actions of riding and you may be surprised just how easily your mind clears.
Key Takeaway
Working out can have positive effects far beyond the gym. Gaining self-confidence, getting out of a funk, and even thinking smarter are some of the motivations to take time for exercise on a regular basis!
References:
(1) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC474733/
(2) https://www.apa.org/monitor/2011/12/exercise
(3) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2562306/
(4) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16416750/
(5) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22750524/
(6) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21495519/
(7) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21722657/
(8) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22698691/
(9) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21282661/
(10) https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/09/100915171536.htm
(11) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17185007/
(12) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2829243/
(13) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15585045/
(14) https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100621173723.htm
(15) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1332529/
(16) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19121124/
