Exercise is important for physical health and ensuring a long and healthy life. The effects of regular exercise on cardiovascular health, the immune system as well as joint and muscle health have long been known.
Regular exercise can also have a positive impact on your emotional and mental health.
Exercise encourages the production of mood-enhancing chemicals in the brain, maintains a healthy hormone balance and creates a general sense of well-being.
With more and more people being diagnosed with depression, and the rising cost of treatment and medication, finding alternative means to deal with depression is becoming more important.
This article explains why exercise helps in dealing with depression.
1. Increased ‘happy chemicals’
Mental health in general, and depression in particular, have long been misunderstood and misdiagnosed.
People with clinical depression are not just in a bad mood or feeling sorry for themselves, they have a serious illness with myriad negative physical and mental health effects.
Clinical depression is the result of a chemical imbalance in the body, which can be caused by a number of problems.
Regular exercise can help alleviate depression as it releases so-called ‘happy chemicals’, which improve mood and help you to feel yourself again.
Increased levels of serotonin, dopamine and various endorphins can raise your short-term mood and your overall mental health.
2. More positive body image
The world is obsessed with how we look, and this can cause mental health issues for men and women of every age.
The pressure from society to look a certain way and modern beauty expectations can lead to feelings of inadequacy, which can lead to depression.
Those with a negative self-image experience severe anxiety about going to the gym and exercising in front of people so they feel incapable of making the changes they need to.
There are now many home workouts available online that allow people to get in shape in the comfort and safety of their home.
Apps can teach you how best to work out to achieve your personal fitness goals, improve confidence and track your progress as you advance through the programme.
3. Healthy body, healthy mind
Regular exercise not only helps you to look great, it helps you feel great too.
Along with the increased levels of happy chemicals, regular exercise improves your cardiovascular system, joints, muscles and flexibility.
The connection between mind and body has been long established, so when you have a healthy body, you will have a healthy mind too.
4. Better quality sleep
Sufficient, good quality sleep has a big impact on your mood and your mental health, but many people don’t get enough.
Many have trouble falling and staying asleep with all of the demands and stress of a busy life.
This can cause chronic fatigue, a weakened immune system and contributes to chemical imbalances, all of which are direct causes of depression.
With regular exercise and a healthy lifestyle, you will be able to fall asleep more easily and stay asleep throughout the night.
Takeaway
Depression is a horrible, debilitating condition that leaves people feeling isolated and insecure.
Chemical imbalances have a negative effect on mental health, but exercise can help to maintain the right balance and to breathe a fresh, more positive outlook into people who are suffering from depression.
There are many exercise methods available these days so everyone is sure to be able to find a workout that makes them feel great and helps reduce the effects of depression.
Dennis Relojo-Howell is the founder of Psychreg and host of The DRH Show. You can connect with him on Twitter @drelojo_howell