When Exercise Can Lead to Better Mental Health

Source: Author: Published date: 1969-12-31  

Exercise does wonders for the mental and emotional, as well as the physical. The way cardio and aerobic sets can sculpt the muscles into optimal condition, so goes the effect on the brain and nervous system. Endorphins, euphoria inducing natural chemicals, as well as other exercise-produced chemicals have positive effects on the aging brain in the areas of improved memory and staving off dementia. Other advantages of exercise are as follows:

A person suffering from some sort of mental ailment like anxiety or depression would have the option of taking in fewer medications. Evidence shows that some antidepressants increase the same chemicals in the brain that exercise does. If exercise has been proven to be same in effects as antidepressants, then medication side effects can become a thing of the past, if not at least subside somewhat. Side effects of medication can sometimes feel like they are causing more harm than good. The fatigue, fluctuating weight, energy loss etc. experienced from side effects can be remedied with regular exercise.

Furthermore, the medications used to treat depression and other mental illnesses tend to have an adverse affect on a person's weight, which can then attribute to a worsening of the mental illness in the first place. And to combat extreme weight gain or loss due to medication is tremendously hard to do because the medication would be fighting the efforts. Exercise in conjunction with medication could be a challenge worth doing, teaching a person determination and resolve thus aiding in the healing of their mental illness along with therapy.

Because depression can affect the whole body, mental and physical; appetite, concentration, and exercise can work against these ill effects by acting as a stress reliever and appetite increaser. But also, pain like back aches can be a part of depression, as well as a part of aging. Natural relievers can be released during exercise that can ease specifically back pain.

Also, because drug abuse and overeating are one and the same in that they can change the mental state for the worse, exercise can work against the need to do either. Because it improves overall health, a person could actually become less inclined to do something that goes against the positive effects of exercise- or at least put up a stronger effort not to do so than they might have before. Self esteem, or lack thereof, is sometimes central to why someone uses drugs and/or overeats, but exercise can be a great enhancer of self-confidence.

Additionally, a lack of concentration to goals or everyday tasks that can lead to drug abuse and overeating can be corrected with exercise. Some people abuse Ritalin or crystal methamphetamine just to get through the activity of work, school, etc. Exercise is more mental than it is physical in that it can teach discipline and routine. In accomplishing a set of exercises a person is telling themselves consciously or subconsciously that another goal, no matter what it is, can be attained.

Finally, the ways in which exercise would enhance a person's romantic life is almost self-evident. A better, more appealing physique, more energy, better muscle tone- all of it would be conducive to a higher quality romantic life. Aerobic and cardio exercises would provide for higher energy and endurance levels for tasks as diverse as work and sport hobbies. Exercise can be beneficial in so many areas of a person's life that there are hardly any reasons that anyone could have not to begin an exercise regimen today.

[back to top] [Print This Article] [Close]

Prev: Shorten Your Workout with Full Body Sculpting Exercises   Next: A Bodybuilding Back Routine Day