How Fitness Impacts Your Mental Health
When most people commit to a fitness routine, they do so to improve their physical health. Perhaps they need to lose weight or find a natural way to lower their blood pressure or glucose. And while exercise impacts a person’s physical health, it also significantly impacts their mental health!
Here are just some of the ways fitness positively impacts your mental health:
Helps to Relieve Stress
Have you heard that regular exercise is one of the best ways to beat the effects of stress? Physical activity reduces stress by reducing stress-related hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline. And studies have found exercise can even make us resilient to stress.
Improves Self-Confidence
When we feel depressed, we don’t have the get-up-and-go to exercise. By not exercising, we lose weight, which can significantly decrease our confidence and self-worth. Committing to an exercise plan can help to rebuild our confidence and worth. Studies have found regular exercise can contribute to improved body image.
Promotes a Better Night’s Sleep
We overlook how important proper sleep is for our overall mental health and well-being. While various factors impact our sleep quality, physical activity is particularly influential. Exercise not only helps us fall asleep faster but helps us stay asleep longer as well.
Improves Cognitive Functioning
And finally, exercise is also thought to boost our mental clarity and improve our memory. Those who have suffered from depression, anxiety or PTSD, and CPTSD know that our cognitive function can take a hit when our mental health takes a hit.
These are just some ways regular exercise can improve your mental health. And, of course, I also encourage you to speak to someone about your mental health challenges. Just as you often need a trainer to show you how to exercise properly, you may need a trainer to help you get into the best mental health of your life!
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SOURCES:
https://www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-living/the-mental-health-benefits-of-exercise.htm
https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/exercise-and-mental-health
https://www.nami.org/Blogs/NAMI-Blog/May-2016/Exercise-for-Mental-Health-8-Keys-to-Get-and-Stay
https://www.healthline.com/health/depression/exercise