The Benefits of
Exercise on Mental Health
Provided
by American
Council on Exercise
While
the benefits of regular exercise and physical activity for health,
fitness and physical performance are well known, fewer people are
aware of the fact that exercise can also help improve overall mental
health and create a more positive outlook. So, if you have clients or
class participants who are struggling to find motivation to continue being
physically active, help them recognize that regular exercise can not only
help them to look and perform better, it
can help them feel better, too.
Here are six ways exercise can help
improve overall mental health and outlook that you can share with your
clients or participants:
1.
Exercise increases the
production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a
neurotransmitter that can stimulate production of new brain cells. Both
cardiorespiratory and muscular training can help elevate levels of
BDNF, which means that these forms of exercise not only help you become
more physically fit, but they can also boost your
brain health.
2.
Exercise improves memory and learning and reduces
or slows progressive loss to brain cell structure and
function. In addition, exercise improves brain health by enhancing its ability
to grow and adapt in response
to stimuli (neuroplasticity) by reorganizing its connections, structure and
functions. In other words, exercise may ameliorate some
of the inescapable brain-related changes that occur with
aging. Improvements in cognitive function and neuroplasticity can
be observed in both young and old and both healthy and
clinical populations. While cardiorespiratory and muscular training
create unique neurophysiological
adaptations, the combination of both
types of exercise leads to more exercise-induced
neuroplasticity than either
mode alone. In other words, different types of exercise improves brain
health by targeting various aspects of brain function.
3.
Exercise can help
boost self-esteem, which may
positively affect your mental health. Learning how
to perfect that yoga pose, finally doing a pull-up with your own body weight or
lifting a certain amount of weight for the first time can leave you
with the feeling that you can achieve specific tasks that you set out
to accomplish, which is one of the best ways to boost self-esteem.
4.
How awesome do you feel
after a good night’s sleep? Sleep is when your
body repairs itself after the challenges of the day and is an important
component of good mental health. A good night’s sleep is also critical for
your brain to recharge and refresh, and regular exercise can enhance your quality of sleep, which can leave you
feeling great all day long.
5.
In this non-stop world, where you’re constantly
being texted, emailed and generally pulled in all directions,
having the opportunity to take time out of your day to focus on
you may help improve mental health. Time spent exercising
is an opportunity to unplug from other people and listen to your favorite music
or catch up on your favorite hobby via a podcast. This, in turn, can help you
change how you feel and improve your overall outlook.
6.
Taking group fitness
classes or simply being at a gym surrounded by other people working toward
improving their health can help you connect with others, which is an
important component of good mental health. If you’re new to an
area or going through a major life change such as a break-up, your workout time
can be the best opportunity for meeting new people and making new friends. Many
fitness studios and group classes become mini-communities and are an excellent
way to improve your real-life social network, which can have an
immediate impact on your mental health.
Research strongly suggests
that improved mental health is an important and
often-overlooked outcome of regular exercise. It’s also important to
note that you don’t need to pay for an expensive health membership or
fitness classes to receive the mental health benefits of exercise. If your
clients or participants have been
looking for a little extra motivation to get moving, let them know
that exercise can help them feel better and
improve their overall outlook on life.
To learn more about the role of exercise
in mental health, check out this video from Sami Mansfield, founder of Cancer
Wellness for Life.?
AUTHOR
Pete McCall
Pete McCall,
MS, CSCS, is an ACE Certified Personal Trainer and long-time player in the
fitness industry. He has been featured as an expert in the Washington Post, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Runner's World and Self. He holds a master's
degree in exercise science and health promotion, and several advanced
certifications and specializations with NSCA and NASM.