5 Ways in Which Going to the Gym Can Help Improve Your Mental Health
You have to go to the gym to be fit. That is obvious. But sometimes being fit is just not enough of a motivation for you.
Sometimes, you imagine what you would have to go through to get that beach body and ask yourself if you really need it.
Well, the Australian government thinks there is more to exercise than just having a great physique. They even published official guidelines that stress the importance of physical activity for mental health.
Are you interested in finding out how you can benefit from going to the gym? Our article will provide you with all the answers.
Your sleep improves
Is your sleep schedule normal? For many people, it is not. They do not move around a lot and end up having trouble going to sleep. Quite a few of them stay up late browsing the web aimlessly till all hours.
When you exercise, your temperature goes up. When it drops, it acts as a signal to your body to go to sleep.
Go for a walk or do some pilates for a couple of hours before hitting the sack — that way you will have an easier time falling asleep.
You become less anxious
Exercise and mental health statistics compiled by Ashish Sharma, Vishal Madaan, and Frederick D. Petty indicate that doing jogging, swimming, or even walking reduces anxiety.
The critical factor that contributes to this is increased brain blood flow. It affects the brain and the limbic system in multiple ways, thus reducing the impact of stress.
You master your stress
No one lives a stress-free life today. An unstable job market, student loans, and the risk of your profession becoming obsolete can stop you from relaxing.
Cortisol that your body produces as a response to stress doesn’t affect you positively in the long run. Among other things, it may increase the amount of fat in the abdomen and chest. Add craving sugar to block out negative feelings, and you have a perfect recipe for obesity.
Going to the gym helps you reduce your cortisol levels. It also produces endorphins, so you won’t need any sugar to feel good.
In addition to this, your attitude may change. Fear and excitement are caused by a very similar cocktail of hormones. The difference is that excitement is much more pronounced.
Imagine facing a lion and trying to figure out ways to defeat it instead of being paralyzed with fear. This is what sport helps you achieve.
Your alertness increases
Many students nowadays lack alertness to such an extent that it can be diagnosed as borderline ADHD. This is why many people are using Adderall or look for custom writing help.
However, being constantly doped up on amphetamines is not the healthiest solution to the focus problem.
The mental benefits of exercise are quite easy to see: your brain is adequately supplied with oxygen-rich blood, you become more focused, you spend less time working in front of a computer, and you sleep more. All of this contributes to your mental alertness.
Another benefit is that you basically practice a form of mindfulness when you do sports.
Mindfulness is a hot topic these days. It means focusing on something or nothing for a long time. Its beneficial effects on mental health are so numerous that it is impossible to describe all of them in one article.
Even though it is very similar to meditation, you don’t have to sit still for hours trying to achieve it. Ever heard of sportsmen going “in the zone?” That’s basically the same thing.
Your mood improves
They say that mental health and exercise go hand in hand. However, you may not realize how true it is.
Exercise is actually a part of depression treatment. It causes your body to produce endorphins — hormones that make you feel happy. The result is improved self-esteem and a decrease in negative mood and social withdrawal.
Include exercise in your daily routine, get some sunlight whenever you can, and the odds are you won’t ever have to suffer from a persistently lousy mood.
A message to those who think they don’t have the time to go to the gym
Sure, you can be already stressed enough. You have tons of deadlines that you’ve missed and absolutely no time to do sports. What do you do?
Go for a walk. Yes, it can go a long way toward improving your overall health. A recent study found that walking briskly for 30 minutes a day burns as many calories as a one-hour workout at the gym.
If you don’t have that much time — start small. Walk or do situps when you take a break. This will help you finish that project on time.
