It’s a crazy world and there’s been a lot of anger, fear and despair. One thing that hasn’t helped is the lack of exercise. That’s right! When you workout, it helps relax you and clear your mind. In other words, fitness helps with mental health. Working out boosts your cognitive functioning and raise your spirits in a number of ways. It helps you clear your mind and burns off the hormones that prepare your body for danger.
Your body is controlled when your brain senses danger by hormones created by that stress.
Hormones that prepare you for fighting or fleeing are sent out when you’re under stress. They prepare you to run or fight. Unfortunately, stress today is nothing like early man’s stress, where he was threatened by wild animals or enemies. The action of running or fighting burned off the hormones that prepared the body for fight or flight and boosted the hormones that make you feel good. Studies show that exercising can actually help as an adjunct therapy for people with anxiety or depression. Exercise causes the feel good hormones that make you feel safe and protected to be produced. It only takes moderate exercise several times a week.
Exercise can change your mental functioning.
Not only is exercising good for your emotions, it’s good for your cognitive functioning. Unlike early beliefs, scientists are now finding your brain power can grow. It’s called brain plasticity. Exercise increases the creation of new brain cells and help prevent damage to old ones. It increases circulation that sends nutrients and oxygen to the brain. Several studies show it can slow dementia or mental decline, plus improve how the brain performs. The area of the brain that controls memory, the hippocampus, is also strengthened.
You’ll get a better quality of sleep when you workout and that’s beneficial to your mood and mind.
When you sleep, your brain repairs itself and reorganize. It cleans out waste product during sleep. Lymphatic fluids flow into the open areas between neurons that wider by 60% during sleep, so it’s cleared more quickly. When you workout, not only do you fall asleep quicker, you get better quality of sleep. That helps prevent mental decline.
- You’ll boost your self-image and even improve your self-confidence when you workout. It improves your posture, to make you look and feel more confident. Test it for yourself by checking your emotions in both a slumped posture and good one.
- Exercise increases neurohormones that make your mood improve. Those same hormones also improve your cognitive functioning. It increases your heart rate and circulation.
- Can’t get to the gym or exercise when you’re feeling stressed. Try running up and down steps or going for a walk to feel better. Even if you want to go to bed because you’re depressed, you might find a brisk walk makes you feel better.
- LIV Fitness is open 24/7. We know that your schedule doesn’t always work with 9 to 5 gyms. It’s the perfect place to go when you need a lift and help getting through anxious moments or feeling a little mentally out of sorts.
For more information, contact us today at LIV Fitness