Feel Better When You Get Moving The relationship between mental health and physical health cannot be denied. Therefore one of the best ways you can be sure to have a healthy body is to have a healthy mind. When mental and physical health is in good form you are more likely to prevent the need for medical interventions. When your health is not a priority, it could lead to an operating room with a patient return electrode, cautery pencil, and smoke evaluation machine. Here are some ways that working out benefits your mental health.

Exercise Reduces Stress First, physical exercise can reduce stress. Stress can be an extremely harmful thing to our mind and body. By engaging in physical exercise when we feel stressed, such as taking a walk or playing a pickup game of basketball, the body releases the chemical norepinephrine. This chemical helps moderate your brain’s response to stress. Even, just taking your mind of whatever is causing stress can put things into perspective and allow you to return to the problem with an open mind and proper perspective.

Exercise Improves Mood Second, exercise releases chemicals that have been found to improve mood. Exercise has been proven to release endorphins, which create a feeling of happiness and pleasure. Studies have even found regular exercise to relieve symptoms among those that are clinically depressed. So next time you are feeling down, go on a walk or bike ride around the neighborhood.

Self Confidence Third, exercise can improve your self-confidence. You don’t have to look like a model to feel better about yourself when exercising. Regardless of your weight, size, or gender, when you work out you feel a deeper sense of self love.

Get Outside Fourth, get outside. Participating in physical activity in the great outdoors increases self-esteem even more than working out inside. Plus doing physical activity outside enables you to get vitamin D from the sun. Vitamin D can reduce symptoms of depression.

Staying Fit Fifth, working out can help your brain stay fit as well. Working out, especially between the ages of 25-45, boost the chemicals in the brain that support and prevent degeneration of the hippocampus , an important part of the brain responsible for memory and learning.

Reducing Anxiety Sixth, reduce anxiety. While it may be more tempting to say that a bubble bath will relieve stress more than 30 minutes of physical exercise, it isn’t true. Moderate to high intensity workouts can release chemicals in the brain that can alleviate anxiety.

Improving Your Abilities Seventh, working out can improve your brain’s abilities. Studies have demonstrated that cardiovascular exercise, like running, walking or cycling, can create new brain cells and improve the brain’s performance. Tough workouts can help decision making abilities, higher thinking, and learning.

Controlling Addiction Eighth, help control addiction. When you exercise the body releases a chemical called dopamine, or the “reward chemical.” Exercise can help those who are trying to recover from addictions. Short exercises can help addicted individuals by distracting them from a craving. On the whole, exercise can be a powerful tool to help addicts as they rebuild their body without the dependence on their addiction.

Be sure to take advantage of all of the physical and mental health benefits exercise provides. Photo Credit: Thomas Hawk, Ernst Vikne