WHEN "MIND OVER BODY" DOESN'T WORK. IT'S TIME TO TRY "BODY OVER MIND."
Most people are aware of the benefits exercise can have on our physical body and appearance. How it can affect our weight, stamina, and strength. Unfortunately few people are aware of the mental health benefits of exercise, especially how it can help us when we might feel anxious or depressed. If that’s you, don’t feel bad. Exercise is something that even psychologists have been very slow to incorporate into their treatments. So, let’s dig deeper into the mental benefits of exercise.
OUR MENTAL HEALTH AND THE POWER OF EXERCISE
We tend to trivialize the topic of mental health. For many, it’s even taboo to discuss it but in fact 1 in 5 adults in the US have experienced it. At the same time, social media often portrays a false image of people’s lives and can fuel feelings of anxiety, depression, isolation, and FOMO. So while exercise won’t cure mental illness, it’s hard to ignore the increasing evidence of the exercise-mental health connection.
It’s positive effects range from boosting your mood, improving your sleep, to helping you deal with depression, anxiety, stress, and more. However, the importance of exercise is not adequately understood or appreciated by patients and mental health professionals alike.
THE MOOD BOOST
People who exercise regularly tend to do so because it gives them an enormous sense of well-being. They feel more energetic throughout the day, sleep better at night, have sharper memories, and feel more relaxed and positive about themselves and their lives. And it’s also a powerful medicine for many common mental health challenges.
It’s no surprise that the more you help your body, the more you help your mind. Physical activity increases the flow of oxygen to your brain. It also increases the amount of endorphins, the “feel-good” chemicals, in your brain. For this reason, it’s not surprising that people who are in good physical shape also tend to enjoy a higher level of mental agility.
Regular exercise can relieve stress, improves memory, helps you sleep better, and boosts your overall mood. It also can have a profoundly positive impact on depression, anxiety, and ADHD.. And you don’t have to be a fitness fanatic to reap the benefits. Research indicates that modest amounts of exercise can make a real difference. No matter your age or fitness level, you can learn to use exercise as a powerful tool to deal with mental health problems, improve your energy and outlook, and get more out of life.
THE QUICK PICK ME UP: EXERCISE AND DEPRESSION
Studies show that exercise can treat mild to moderate depression as effectively as antidepressant medication—but without the side-effects, of course. As one example, a recent study done by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that running for 15 minutes a day or walking for an hour reduces the risk of major depression by 26%. In addition to relieving depression symptoms, research also shows that maintaining an exercise schedule can prevent you from relapsing.
Exercise is a powerful depression fighter for several reasons. Most importantly, it promotes all kinds of changes in the brain, including neural growth, reduced inflammation, and new activity patterns that promote feelings of calm and well-being. It also releases endorphins, powerful chemicals in your brain that energize your spirits and make you feel good. Finally, exercise can also serve as a distraction, allowing you to find some quiet time to break out of the cycle of negative thoughts that feed depression
SLOW RIDE, TAKE IT EASY: EXERCISE AND ANXIETY
Exercise relieves tension and stress, boosts physical and mental energy, and enhances well-being through the release of endorphins. You might say it's a natural and effective anti-anxiety treatment. Anything that gets you moving can help, but you’ll get a bigger benefit if you pay attention instead of zoning out.
Try to notice the sensation of your feet hitting the ground, for example, or the rhythm of your breathing, or the feeling of the wind on your skin. By adding this mindfulness element—really focusing on your body and how it feels as you exercise—you’ll not only improve your physical condition faster, but you may also be able to interrupt the flow of constant worries running through your head.
THE EXERCISE EFFECT IS NOT JUST LIMITED TO MENTAL HEALTH, BUT YOUR OVERALL MIND AND PERSONA TOO!
Regular physical activity can still offer a welcome boost to your mood, outlook, and mental well-being, even if you’re not suffering from a mental health problem.
Exercise can help provide:
- Sharper memory and thinking. The same endorphins that make you feel better also help you concentrate and feel mentally sharp for tasks at hand. Exercise also stimulates the growth of new brain cells and helps prevent age-related decline.
- Higher self-esteem. Regular activity is an investment in your mind, body, and soul. When it becomes a habit, it can foster your sense of self-worth and make you feel strong and powerful. You’ll feel better about your appearance and, by meeting even small exercise goals, you’ll feel a sense of achievement.
- Better sleep. Even short bursts of exercise in the morning or afternoon can help regulate your sleep patters. If you prefer to exercise at night, relaxing exercises such as yoga or gentle stretching can help promote sleep.
- More energy. Increasing your heart rate several times a week will give you more get-up-and-go. Start off with just a few minutes of exercise per day, and increase your workout as you feel more energized.
- Stronger resilience. When faced with mental or emotional challenges in life, exercise can help you build resilience and cope in a healthy way, instead of resorting to alcohol, drugs, or other negative behaviors that ultimately only make your symptoms worse. Regular exercise can also help boost your immune system and reduce the impact of stress.
REAPING THE MENTAL HEALTH BENEFITS OF EXERCISE IS EASIER THAN YOU THINK
You don’t need to devote hours out of your busy day to train at the gym, sweat buckets, or run mile after monotonous mile to reap all the physical and mental health benefits of exercise. Even a little bit of activity is better than nothing.
Start with 5 or 10 minute sessions and slowly increase your time. The more you exercise, the more energy you’ll have, so eventually you’ll feel ready for a little more. The key is to commit to some moderate physical activity—however little—on most days. As exercising becomes a habit, you can slowly add extra minutes or try different types of activities. If you keep at it, the benefits of exercise will begin to pay off. Triad offers a number of different workout routines that range from beginner to advanced levels to help achieve these goals!
BUT SELF MOTIVATION? HOW CAN I IMPROVE THAT?
We all find it hard enough to motivate ourselves to exercise even at the best of times. But when you feel anxious, stressed or depressed, it can seem doubly difficult. You know exercise will make you feel better, but sometimes your mindset has robbed you of the energy and motivation you need to work out, or anxiety gets in the way and you can’t bear the thought of being seen at an exercise class or running through the park. Here’s a few small step you can take to feel better and get motivated:
- Start small. Setting extravagant goals like completing a marathon or working out for an hour every morning is noble but it might leave you more despondent if you fall short. It’s much better to set achievable short term goals based on your current fitness level and build up from there.
- Schedule workouts when your energy is highest. Perhaps you have most energy first thing in the morning before work or school or at lunchtime before the mid-afternoon lull hits? Or maybe you do better exercising for longer at the weekends. If depression or anxiety has you feeling tired and unmotivated all day long, try dancing to some music or simply going for a walk. Even a short, 15-minute walk can help clear your mind, improve your mood, and boost your energy level. As you move and start to feel a little better, you’ll often boost your energy enough to exercise more vigorously—by walking further, breaking into a run, or adding a bike ride, for example.
- Focus on activities you enjoy. Any activity that gets you moving counts. That could include throwing a Frisbee with a dog or friend, walking laps of a mall window shopping, or cycling to the grocery store. If you’ve never exercised before or don’t know what you might enjoy, try a few different things. Activities such as gardening or tackling a home improvement project can be great ways to start moving more and help you become more active, they can also leave you with a sense of purpose and accomplishment.
Exercise, done properly, offers near-instant gratification. It’s why we encourage our followers to get moving--especially if you’re feeling down. Whether it’s a short walk or a few jumping jacks, failing to workout when you feel bad means you’re missing your workout when you need it most. More importantly, you’re missing the opportunity to know just how much better you'll feel afterwards.
TriadXP is committed to providing you with the tools and information to help you work out better and enjoy your fitness journey. Stay tuned to our blog and social media platforms for more tips on how to reach your fitness goals. Find your perfect work out and Let's Get Moving!
 Mental Health By the Numbers | NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness. (2021). National Alliance on Mental Illnesses. https://www.nami.org/mhstats
 NCBI. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1470658/ (2006).
 Roth, E. (2017, September 2). The Importance of Mental Fitness. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/depression/mental-fitness