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Mental Health Benefits of Exercise

Mental Health Benefits of Exercise
Benefits of Exercise on Mental Health

Exercise is recommend as part of the treatment for specific mental health illnesses. Exercise can alleviate many of the symptoms of depression, such as fatigue, tension, and feelings of anger.

Exercise is also used to enhance well-being in people with no mental health issues. Increased physical activity can enhance mood, improve energy levels, and promote quality sleep.

Exercise decreases stress hormones

Exercise decreases stress hormones like cortisol. It also increases endorphins, your body's ‘feel-good’ chemicals giving you a boost to your mental health.

Exercise promotes confidence

Exercise can help with weight loss, tone your body, and maintain a healthy glow and a smile. You may feel a subtle but significant boost in your mood as you feel stronger and healthier.  As you become fitter and stronger, you become more confident, more confident in the decisions you make and more confident in how you carry yourself.

Exercise can be a good source of social support

The benefits of social support are well-documented, and many physical activities can be social activities as well.  So, at the moment when we are restricted in how close we can be to one another it's a really good time to keep our online exercise class going, exercising with others can give you a double take of stress relief.  

Remember, tomorrow morning at 9.30am we have the FREE Live With Lesley Workout on Instagram.  This class enjoys hundreds of people working out together and it is just so uplifting! If you haven't already, you should give it a go!

Physical activity distracts you from negative thoughts

Physical activity can take the mind off any problems and either redirect it on the activity at hand or get you into a zen-like state.  I can see and feel stress and anxiety literally lift after our classes.  In our "real" classes, I see and hear the smiles and the laughter after the class.  On our "live" classes, the positive feedback from everyone is just wonderful.

Better physical health may mean better mental health

While stress can cause illness, illness can also cause stress. Improving your overall health and longevity with exercise can save you a great deal of stress in the short run by strengthening your immunity to colds, the flu, and other minor illnesses and in the long run by helping you stay healthier longer, and enjoy life more because of it.

Exercise provides a buffer against stress

Physical activity may be linked to lower physiological reactivity toward stress. Simply put, those who get more exercise may become less affected by the stress they face. So, in addition to all the other benefits, exercise may supply some immunity toward future stress as well to cope with current stress.