While it may be difficult to get your daily workout in, it could actually be doing you more good than you think. Beyond helping your physical health, it’s actually beneficial to your mental health as well. More studies are showing a link between physical activity and exercise helping curb mental disorders like anxiety and depression, creating an advantageous opportunity to get healthy while stimulating your self-worth.
Empowering Yourself
The links between mental health and exercise aren’t completely clear, but exercise has been shown to alleviate the symptoms of some mental illness. Regular exercise can ease depression and anxiety by releasing feel-good endorphins, natural chemicals created by the brain that enhance your sense of wellness. It also is just a welcome distraction, keeping your mind on your routine or your number of reps as opposed to life’s worries.
As you get into shape, workouts help you to gain confidence, as you see improvement in your appearance. Exercise also creates a healthy coping mechanism, as opposed to drinking alcohol or smoking, which some people use to manage the things that stress them out.
Of course, there’s also the social interaction aspect of exercise, which has become difficult these days since the spread of COVID-19. However, a breathable mask not only protects you from the coronavirus, but those coverings can also allow you to still get through a workout without feeling short of breath. Breathable masks made of bamboo allow for greater airflow through lightweight material with a structure that’s durable and able to provide the protection you need in these uncertain times. Before wearing these masks to exercise, be sure to invest in a mask that utilizes fabric that doesn’t drag down from your face, and use adjustable ear loops to eliminate any struggles with your face covering.
Better Sleep
The stress and anxiety built up due to day-to-day life certainly can race at night when you’re trying to go to bed. Exercising regularly can actually help you consistently get a better night’s rest.
Physical activity increases body temperature, which actually has a calming effect on the mind. Exercise can also regulate your circadian rhythm, which is essentially how your body becomes adjusted to your daily clock, like when you feel tired and ready for bed and when you’re ready to start the next day. That good night’s sleep from exercise can also boost mental energy and creativity when you decide to get to work or get your day going after waking up. It also helps prevent long-term mental issues like cognitive decline or memory loss.
Exercise And Behavioral Health
A healthy regular workout can actually be a part of a long-term care plan for managed behavioral health and physical well-being. Clinicians encourage a physical regimen that may not be as rigorous as a physical trainer would impose, but will assure a better return on behavioral health care.
In order to better aid mental health, some psychotherapists will actually recommend a workout during your session with them. The practice of walking during therapy sessions is an increasingly popular option, as it reduces the intimacy of an eye-to-eye direct conversation and focuses more on improving emotional awareness and creativity. While some mental health services may stray from that idea, specialty services have found structure in using a simple walk or workout to create an easier way for patients to open up. Of course, this is the decision of the patient and can be dependent on the continuity of care.
For more severe mental illness, it’s not as simplistic as a light walk, though most behavioral health experts will encourage exercise as a form of release that comes with plenty of incentives. What’s certain is that exercise has the ability to improve anyone’s mental health, no matter their situation.
