The Mental Benefits of Working Out

Most of us think of working out as a way to get in good physical shape and change our bodies. But we don’t often focus on its mental benefits. Studies have shown that regular exercise improves mental health in several ways. These psychological benefits include better mood, improved memory, the ability to sleep well, and also can increase your ability to control issues such as stress and anxiety. Here are five ways working out can help make your mind healthier and by extension your daily life.

Five Ways Working Out Improves Your Mental Well Being

1. Improved Sleep

A lack of sleep has been linked to several mental and physical health issues. Getting a good night’s sleep is essential for your mental wellbeing and keeps you mentally sharp to face the challenges of the day. A good workout helps you fall asleep more quickly and stay asleep longer. If you’ve ever had insomnia you are no doubt familiar with how it can impact your life and the frustration with finding a solution. Workouts have been shown to help with insomnia symptoms.

2. Better Mood

Physical activity causes your brain to release endorphins which cause increases in happiness and other positive emotions. Doctors recommend exercise to people with anxiety problems and depression. Research shows that people with symptoms of depression benefit greatly from just 30 minutes of exercise a few times a week. While exercise isn’t a full replacement for many prescribed care regimens or treatment for issues like addiction, it can greatly improve your mental wellbeing and serve as part of an overall healthcare strategy.

3. Fight Stress

One of the key ways working out improves your mental health is by reducing stress. Stress is a normal part of almost every job. Working out helps combat stress by releasing positive chemicals such as norepinephrine in the brain and removing the physical components of stress (such as muscle tenseness) which can negatively impact your mental health.

4. Keep Your Mind Sharp and Prevent Decline

As you age, cognitive decline occurs even if you have no health concerns. Exercise can help combat natural cognitive decline caused by age because it encourages the production of brain chemicals that support the hippocampus, the part of your brain that focuses on learning and memory. Improvement in memory is notable even in younger people who exercise regularly.

5. Combat Anxiety

Anxiety disorders are a common issue and can range in severity. If you have anxiety issues, you want to be able to manage them as well as possible. As noted, exercise increases your brain’s production of chemicals that have a positive effect on your mental state, including anxiety. Regular aerobic exercise that increases the heart rate is recommended to combat anxiety-related issues.

Final Thoughts

The benefits of a good workout are hard to overstate. Regular workouts don’t have to be extreme for you to see the positive effects. Even very simple workouts can have positive results provided you are dedicated and consistent in your activity. By starting simple and starting now, you can strengthen both your body and mind.

Sources

Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov - Exercise for Mental Health

Health.harvard.edu - Skimping on Sleep Can Raise the Risk of Many Health Problems and Leave You Prone to Accidents.

Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov - The Bidirectional Relationship Between Exercise and Sleep: Implications for Exercise Adherence and Sleep Improvement

Frontiersin.org - Physical Exercise in Major Depression: Reducing the Mortality Gap While Improving Clinical Outcomes

Sciencedirect.com - Exercise counteracts declining hippocampal function in aging and Alzheimer's disease

Mayoclinic.org - Anxiety Disorders