Did You Know Exercise Can Improve Your Mental Health Instantly?

According to WHO, 1 in every 8 people, or 970 million people worldwide had a mental disorder in 2019, with anxiety and depressive disorders as the most common.

In 2020, WHO reports that this number increased significantly (anxiety - by 26%; depressive disorders - by 28%) due to the pandemic. In the US, specifically,  1 in 4 adults suffer from a diagnosable disorder in a given year.

If you are one of those people, could it be that your mental health is being affected by a lack of exercise?

Exercise can help boost happiness and alleviate depression, anxiety, and stress. In this article, we will explain how fitness improves mental health so you can hit the gym with a smile on your face!

Exercise increases brain chemicals that help you feel better.

Working out can help you feel better by increasing the number of certain brain chemicals that have positive effects on mood and anxiety. These chemicals include endorphins, oxytocin (the "love" hormone), serotonin, and dopamine.

Exercise increases the amount of these neurotransmitters available for use in your brain, which means your ability to focus improves – not only does focusing on an activity make its rewards more enjoyable but also helps prevent cravings for things like drugs and alcohol that could cause further problems down the road if left unchecked.

Let’s look into it in more detail now:

- Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that's involved in reward-motivated behaviour. It's often called the "reward" or "pleasure" chemical because it's released when we do something enjoyable or satisfying to keep us motivated to do it again.

- The physical activity that we do can affect our mood, thoughts, and feelings in a positive way. This is because exercise releases chemicals called ‘endorphins’ into our bodies. Endorphins are natural painkillers similar to morphine, which is why they give us a feeling of euphoria after exercise. They are also produced by other things we do like eating chocolate or listening to music.

- Endorphins are also responsible for the “runner’s high,” which is why many people feel so happy after they work out. It's not just the endorphins that cause this effect either – exercise increases oxygen and blood flow throughout your body, which improves brain function even when you're not exercising!

- Serotonin, a neurotransmitter that helps regulate mood and sleep, is released by the brain in response to exercise. This may be why people who are depressed often experience an improvement in their symptoms after exercising.

- Oxytocin is sometimes referred to as the "love hormone," because it's involved in social bonding and trust. You might have heard about its role in childbirth or breastfeeding — it plays a role there too — but oxytocin is also released during exercise (and other physical activities like sex).

It reduces anxiety and depression

Exercise also helps to lower levels of depression-causing hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, while increasing the production of feel-good endorphins. The release of these hormones in response to exercise can also help relieve symptoms of anxiety.
 
Exercise can be an effective treatment for anxiety and depression. Those who exercise regularly are less likely to develop anxiety or depression, and those who already have these conditions see improvements when they start exercising. The reason this works is that exercise increases endorphin levels (the “feel good” neurotransmitters) in our brains.
 
Exercise stimulates the growth of new brain cells

Your brain is constantly creating new cells, but some cells die off and are replaced by others. Just like any other part of the body, if you don't use it, it will become weaker or die off altogether. Exercise helps to increase the production of brain cells and can help prevent Alzheimer's disease.

Exercise increases blood flow to the brain as well as oxygen and nutrients – this is essential for all parts of your body but especially critical for your brain.

The dopamine available in your system attaches itself to receptors in different areas of your brain that are responsible for memory formation (the hippocampus). This helps you think more clearly and your memory improves!

Exercise helps to relax your mind, and body and improve sleep quality

In addition to all of the physical benefits that exercise can have on the body and mind, it also helps you relax. This is especially useful if you suffer from anxiety or depression. By practising relaxation techniques like yoga, meditation, and breathing exercises, you can reduce stress levels in your life and improve your overall mental health.

When you're feeling relaxed and calm, it's much easier to control your emotions so that they don't spiral out of control into something more serious like depression or anxiety.

Relaxation techniques aren't just healthy for your mind; they're also good for your body! Relaxation not only helps reduce stress levels but it also improves sleep quality since one way in which we release muscle tension is during our sleep cycles (REM).

Sleep is important to our health because it gives our body time to regenerate after a long day. Exercise improves sleep quality by increasing the time spent in deep sleep (rapid eye movement) which helps reduce stress levels.

Weight loss (obesity is linked with depression)

It’s well known that being overweight or obese can contribute to feelings of sadness and isolation – but did you know that losing weight can actually help relieve symptoms of depression? Regular exercise has been found to have a positive effect on one’s mood as well as physical health. A recent study carried out by researchers from Aarhus University and Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark found that “Carrying ten kilograms of excess body fat increases the risk of depression by seventeen per cent”.

Social interaction

Finally, regular exercise helps make the most of your time by allowing for more social interaction with friends and family members who share an interest in fitness.

Exercise is also known to promote social interaction, which can improve your mental health by making you feel less isolated and alone. This is particularly true if you choose an activity that involves interacting with others — such as playing basketball or taking an exercise class.