Mental health has been on the top of many people’s minds for the last few years-and this attention is long overdue. As mental health issues have been rising steadily for the past three years, rates of reported anxiety, depression, and excessive stress have nearly doubled since June 2020. The good news is, we are making great strides with mental health resources and recognition, although there is still much more to be done.
Your mental state has the power to negatively or positively impact your overall wellbeing. Conversely, your overall wellbeing influences your mental health. Your body’s stress response is governed by your sympathetic nervous system. The most common stress responses are:
Each person has their own unique wellness journey, with an “a la carte” list of mental wellness tools that work well for them. There is no one size fits all approach. However, I want to talk more specifically about the connection between exercise and mental well-being. Australian researchers found that exercise should be “first choice treatment” for depression, anxiety, and psychological distress, as it improves symptoms 1.5 times better than both leading and talk therapy. Regular exercise improves mental health in several important ways:
You can enhance some of these benefits by taking a walk outside. Walking outdoors decreases feelings of tension and anger and allows for the absorption of vitamin D, which can actually help you manage low mood. Outdoor exercise enhances the benefits of movement, as exposure to nature has been linked to mental health improvements, including stress reduction, improved mood, and enhanced cognitive function.
You can also improve mental health by incorporating mindfulness techniques into your daily routine. This can take many forms, including mindful movement, or what I call “meditation in motion,” which extends beyond traditional practices like yoga, tai chi and qigong to walking, cycling and rowing, all of which can be made more mindful if you focus on the repetitive movement, your breathing pattern, and how your body feels as it moves through space.
You can certainly reap the benefits of exercise on your own, but your chances of long-term adherence are greatly improved if you exercise as part of a group. Social support provides camaraderie, accountability and motivation, and makes physical activity a lot more fun. Simply knowing a friend is counting on you to show up makes it more likely that you will do so—and this is a two-way street that helps keep your friend on track, as well.
Final thought: No matter what type of exercise you choose, adopting a feeling of gratitude can do wonders for your mental health. Think of exercise as a celebration of what you are capable of, not as something that highlights your limitations. Every success along your journey, even if it’s a completed group exercise class, walking an extra lap at the high school track, or one more push-up than you were able to perform the previous week, is worthy of celebration.
If you need help setting up an exercise program, set realistic health goals, and/or adopt a healthier lifestyle, you can get connected with your personal SENS Solution Health Coach today.
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Site Resources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1470658/