Can Regular Exercise Help with Anxiety and Depression?
Our mental health is important, it helps us make decisions and impacts how we handle stress in our daily lives. There is no question that the odds of knowing someone with anxiety and depression have gone up over the past few years. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, 1 in 6 U.S. adults has an anxiety disorder, while 7% of adults suffer from major depression.
Anxiety and depression can make it difficult to get the motivation to accomplish essential tasks like going to work, cleaning your home, or even exercising. Which is ironic, because exercise gives us those feel-good chemicals that get us motivated. You don’t have to venture far to find endless amounts of advertising focused on medicine or other therapies targeted to help with anxiety and depression. Which begs the question, is there a simpler solution to help with mental illness and can regular exercise help with anxiety and depression?
Benefits of Exercise on Mental Health
A study from the Department of Public Health Sciences in Stockholm Sweden, showed how individuals living with anxiety and depressive illnesses are significantly more likely to have a sedentary lifestyle. This evidence gives healthcare providers a look into these patients in order to better understand how they can help.
One study from the Human Movement Journal, is showing that regular exercise is one indicator in helping lower symptoms of anxiety and depression. A few details stick out as to why exercise can help with anxiety and depression:
It releases feel-good endorphins that give individuals an increased feeling of well-being
It takes your mind off of triggers to your anxiety or depression
Regular exercise can help you meet goals and gain confidence
It can help you have more control over real or perceived threats that can trigger your anxiety or depression
Whether it’s a sport or a walk through your neighborhood, exercise gives you a chance to cope with your anxiety and depression in a healthy way
How to Get Started Exercising
For years individuals have heard about the benefits of exercise on their health, but starting an exercise routine is more difficult than it sounds. Here are some tips to get you started:
Start Small: Whether you are walking through your neighborhood or walking your dog, you can take these opportunities to give yourself a routine. You can park your car further away when you’re shopping or you can take the stairs instead of an elevator.
Team Up: Get some extra motivation from a friend or join a workout class. Sometimes having others to motivate you, gives you the extra push you need to stick to your routine.
Stay Consistent: Consistency is more important than intensity when it comes to exercise. Break up the time you workout so you're not overwhelmed, and continue to show up even if it’s only for a short period of time.
Use Regular Exercise to Improve your Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms
Anxiety and Depression can be difficult to manage and frustrating, but exercise is a great way to combat those symptoms. Exercise is not just for physical changes, evidence is showing the benefits physical exercise has on our minds as well. Here at Performance Plus, we create opportunities to get you to optimal health. Call us today and give us the opportunity to get you back to health.
