Exercise isn’t just good for your body; it’s also beneficial to your mental health! Exercise has been shown to reduce anxiety and depression by causing the brain to release chemicals that make you feel happier, such as serotonin and dopamine.
Regular exercise can also combat anxiety and depression through its positive effect on endorphins—your body’s natural mood enhancers. And even if you don’t consider yourself an exercise buff, there are plenty of ways to fit in daily physical activity, including brisk walking or dancing, at home or at work. The key is to get moving!
Overcoming Depression Through Exercise
Our team at Exerpy uses exercise therapy for mental health. The benefits of Exerpy include relief from symptoms such as depression and anxiety, two conditions that often go hand in hand.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) offers a free online treatment guide that can help with managing and overcoming depression and anxiety. But if you’re not ready to start reading treatment guides, then it’s worth taking just five minutes out of your day to try some relaxation exercises instead.
A study published in Current Psychiatry Reports found that mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) training was helpful in treating depression, but doesn’t address how important physical activity is in overcoming depression. So how does exercising benefit mental health? Read on for more information about how to get rid of depression through exercise.
Stress Relief From Exercise
Exercise has proven benefits for people with mental health issues, such as anxiety and depression. In fact, exercise therapy is currently one of only a few clinically proven treatments for these disorders.
For instance, there’s plenty of research showing that physical activity is just as effective as medicine in helping alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression. And if you’re suffering from an anxiety disorder, exercise therapy can actually help reduce your overall use of medication.
Physical activity also has long-term benefits when it comes to treating panic attacks and OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder). Research shows that aerobic exercise helps improve quality of life in people who suffer from these conditions.
Plus, regular exercise can help prevent stress and anxiety by releasing endorphins—the body’s natural feel-good chemicals—into your bloodstream.
The bottom line: If you suffer from any kind of mental illness, talk to your doctor about incorporating some form of regular physical activity into your treatment plan. It may be exactly what you need to beat those blues!
What Is Exercise Therapy?
Exercise therapy is all about maximizing health, and improving overall well-being, through exercise. Exercising not only burns calories and elevates heart rate, but it also releases endorphins and helps with sleep.
There are numerous mental health benefits of exercise:
1) Exercise is a mood enhancer
2) Exercise gives your brain space
3) Exercise helps you relax
4) Exercise reduces anxiety
5) Exercise combats depression
6) It’s never too late to start exercising
To improve your mental health, it’s important to engage in regular physical activity. The best way to beat depression is by getting moving—and staying moving!
What Are Some Ideas For Getting Active?
When you’re feeling down, it can be hard to think of anything besides curling up with a blanket and forgetting about how awful you feel. But there are a ton of ways to be active that don’t involve going for a run or lifting weights.
Even small things like dancing, gardening, or taking a dog for a walk can go a long way in making you feel better. Many studies have shown that regular physical activity can help alleviate depression symptoms while also preventing them from returning.
One study found that even just sitting on your butt less could lower your risk of depression; those who watched 2 hours of TV per day were 30% more likely to experience an episode than those who watched 1 hour or less. In other words, when it comes to beating depression, moving is key.
And if you’re dealing with anxiety, exercise may not only help ease symptoms but prevent future episodes as well. In one study, people who exercised regularly had half as many panic attacks as those who didn’t exercise at all.
And if you’re worried about how much time exercise will take away from doing other things—don’t be! Studies show that people actually tend to enjoy exercise more when they schedule it into their day rather than squeezing it in here and there whenever they can fit it in.
Can You Exercise Your Way Out Of The Pits Of Depression?
The answer, perhaps surprisingly, is yes. A growing body of research supports what many people instinctively know: that regular exercise can be an effective treatment for depression and anxiety.
In fact, clinical trials have shown that simply exercising regularly (at least 30 minutes five times a week) can result in a significant reduction in symptoms of depression—even if patients don’t do anything else differently from their normal routine.
Exercise also reduces anxiety levels, including anxiety disorders such as panic disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. It even helps with issues related to substance abuse—in particular, helping reduce cravings for alcohol and drug addiction/dependence.
How Is Exercise Beneficial For Mental Health?
There are many benefits of exercise for mental health There’s lots of advice out there on how exercise can improve your physical health, but what about your mental health? Can exercise help with anxiety and depression?
Well yes, it can. And it’s not just through a placebo effect either. Scientists have found that regular exercise may indeed help with anxiety and depression relief. How does it work? One theory is that when you exercise, your body releases endorphins—also known as feel-good hormones—which then make you feel better overall.
This means that even if you don’t feel like exercising, you should still try because these endorphins will soon kick in and make you feel more relaxed and happier. Another theory is that exercise increases blood flow to different parts of your brain, which improves mood.
Yet another theory is that regular exercise leads to lower levels of stress hormones (like cortisol) in our bodies, which also helps us relax and be less anxious or depressed. Whatever way works best for you though, there are plenty of reasons why exercising regularly is beneficial for mental health!
Final Thoughts
If you find yourself dealing with depression, or anxiety, and aren’t sure where to turn for help, consider reaching out to us. We firmly believe Exerpy (exercise therapy) is a beneficial way to tackle depression and other mental health issues right in their tracks.
Quinn
Quinn is a professional, multi-faceted writer with a background and professional knowledge base that spans many industries. He goes above and beyond in everything he does and has an attitude and mindset of perseverance and dedication.
