Top 8 Best Exercises For Mental Health

Posted by Sudam Shelar on May 23, 2022 in Blog

Just as physical health is crucial to your overall well-being, so is mental health. When you’re in a good mood, you’re most likely to exercise and eat right. But when you’re feeling down or anxious, it’s easy to let stress and low self-esteem take over. Instead of resorting to unhealthy habits of overeating, drinking, or smoking, you can work on exercising your mind instead.

Exercise isn’t just good for the body – it can also benefit the brain. Nowadays, the connection between physical activity and mental health is becoming increasingly clear. Thus, continue reading to learn some of the best exercises for mental health.

Top Exercises For Mental Health

#1. Running:

Not only does exercise provide numerous benefits to physical health, but it has also been proven to relieve stress and symptoms associated with depression and anxiety. Running regularly is one of the best ways to improve mental health. Those who run every day tend to have fewer symptoms of depression than those who don’t.

Exercise has been shown to elevate levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin in the brain, which is linked with positive emotions like happiness. Serotonin is also known to have a positive effect on sleep, mood, and memory. The more serotonin you have in your brain, the less likely you are to experience negative emotions and mental health issues

#2. Yoga:

Yoga may be best known for its physical benefits, but did you know that it’s also good for your mind? It helps improve your mental health by relieving stress and easing anxiety and depression. It also aids with managing chronic pain, extending your lifespan.

Practising yoga is a great way to stay mentally healthy as it helps you improve your self-esteem & self-confidence and manage your worries and fears. You can’t always be at the gym, but you can still reap the benefits of yoga. A study has found that yoga is associated with improving cognitive working memory and reducing stress levels during work. This translates into a higher performance level during the working day.

#3. Strength Training:

Did you know that weight training has some amazing benefits? It can help increase your strength, decrease the risk of injury, make you stronger over time and improve your mental health. If you suffer from chronic conditions, weight training can help you manage them and build your self-confidence, so you can engage in activities you enjoy. It isn’t necessary to join a gym for strength training. You can easily build up strength and muscles at home with these easy exercises. From easy exercises, you can gradually work up to more challenging workouts as your strength increases.

#4. High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT):

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is an aerobic activity that requires short periods of intense training alternated with lighter periods of recovery. Performing HIIT twice a week can cause a reduction in the symptoms of anxiety and depression. It also boosts your self-confidence, self-esteem and feelings of self-worth which lead to a lasting state of happiness. Irrespective of the changes in your body weight, HIIT has a positive impact on the brain and hormonal systems in the body.

#5. Meditation:

Another mental wellness tip is to meditate once or twice a day as it is quite beneficial. Meditating can improve mental health by decreasing stress, anxiety, and blood pressure, all of which are increased by higher levels of stress-related hormones.

Start by scheduling a regular meditation time – either in person or online. Begin with 5 minutes and slowly increase the time over a week or two. You can even meditate using apps such as Headspace, Insight Timer, and Breathe2Relax.

#6. Swimming:

Swimming, like all exercises, is good for mental stability. It releases endorphins in your brain to make you feel good. It can also help increase positivity and bring about a sense of well-being and happiness.

Not only can swimming help with balance and body awareness, but it can also provide therapeutic benefits for people suffering from various injuries. Because of it’s low-impact, it’s perfect for people who want to stay active but who can’t do impact sports for one reason or another.

#7. Kickboxing:

Kickboxing is a full-body workout that burns calories, improves balance, helps you lose weight, and strengthens your joints and muscles. It’s a fun-filled, high-energy workout program that engages all body muscles providing physical and mental health benefits.

Kickboxing helps de-stress by throwing punches, kicks, and knees at a speed bag or a heavy bag. It also boosts your confidence by helping you get in shape and increases your energy levels, making you feel upbeat. Kickboxing training requires your complete attention to master the punches and kicks. This, in turn, increases your concentration and focus levels.

#8. Cycling:

Another way to deal with mental health problems is to go cycling. With your day-to-day life getting overwhelming, getting out on your bike can help you manage your stress. This general cardiovascular exercise reduces stress and anxiety. Cycling can help you get productive at work by boosting energy levels and the ability to concentrate for longer periods.

Getting outdoors improves your vitamin D intake and helps with anxiety. Cycling can spike neuro-chemicals such as serotonin and dopamine that improve your mood. Recent studies have found a link between cycling and improved mental health. It’s the most popular workout for cyclists, and many of us who cycle regularly can attest that cycling can relax your mind and make you feel happier.

Conclusion

Exercising regularly can help with various symptoms associated with physical and mental problems, including anxiety, depression, insomnia, social anxiety, and stress. Getting out of bed and exercising for 30 minutes each day can help alleviate most symptoms.

When people become aware of how they can improve their mental health through exercise, they are more likely to stick with it. Exercising improves cognitive functioning by giving the brain new pathways that help it work better. Here are some other methods you can try at home that will help you get in shape and improve your mental health.

Need help improving your mental health with exercises? Get in touch with me!

 

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