Exercise is quite important for a man when he wants to stay physically fit. Whether you go to the local gym to lift weight and run on the treadmill or go for a jog around the neighbourhood, it is always important to keep moving regularly. However, did you know that exercise provides you mental health benefits as well? Well, let’s have a look at some of these mental health benefits.
*According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), regular physical activity is one of the most important things you can do for your health. While it is a known fact that exercise can help you maintain a healthy weight as well as stay fit, it also provides you with a lot of mental health benefits. If you have been feeling low or depressed, exercise is a great option for you to improve your mental health.
While you can enrol in a gym to lift those weights, you can also perform yoga or just go for a run around the neighbourhood. The choice is always yours when it comes to working out. If you are all set to work out, let’s get to know about the different mental health benefits that you will be achieving after regular exercise. Have a look below:
Reduces Symptoms of Depression
Depression is a mental health disorder which can be tough to handle. However, antidepressants are not the only solution for the symptoms of depression. Exercise will benefit you a lot during dealing with depression as it will let out the feel good chemicals, known as endorphins. It will release certain proteins called neurotrophic or growth factors which will cause the nerve cells to grow and make new connections. This improvement in your brain function will make you feel much better as well as relieve the symptoms of depression.
Helps with Anxiety
Usually, in men, anxiety and depression go side by side. Similarly, as exercise helps with the symptoms of depression, it assists with anxiety as well. Working out will divert your mind from the thing you are anxious about. Along with that, it will help you release the muscle tension in your body. As your heart rate increases, your brain chemistry will change and important anti anxiety chemicals, such as serotonin and gamma aminobutyric acid will be released to lower your anxiety. As you exercise regularly, your resilience will be built against the stormy emotions.
Improves Sleep
If you are unable to sleep properly at night or wake up often at night, it may be because of your mental health. At such times you need to improve the quality of your sleep. This can be easily done by working out regularly or daily after work or in the morning before you are off to work. When you work out, your body gets tired and reduces sleep latency. Apart from that, it promotes deep sleep phases, where you are unlikely to wake up due to disruptions. It improves your sleep quality. However, rigorous exercising just before hitting the bed can actually keep you awake all night.
Helps Relieve Stress
You might have a stressful job or might be going through a stressful phase in life due to certain problems. However, you cannot let all that stress takeover your personal life and your relationships. The best way of getting rid of all that stress is exercise. Exercise is thought to reduce stress by reducing levels of stress related hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline. As discussed above, workout releases endorphins that interact with the receptors of your brain to reduce the perception of pain and stress. They make you feel positive as well as help you sleep well.
Conclusion
Exercise is not just to lose weight or to remain physically fit. While it does help with these two factors, it provides mental health benefits as well, such as the above given ones. Once you have started exercising you will certainly get addicted to working out and even a day without working out will feel like a waste. These mental health benefits will certainly improve your total health and you will feel much better after exercising.
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