The mental health benefits of physical activity

• mental health
• transformation
• fitness journey
• toptips
• endorphins
• dopamine

I recall the day I decided to physically transform my body, little did know that I would also immensely transform my mental state, confidence, self-esteem and gain the self-belief that has taken my life to a whole new level of self-perception. One thing I know for sure is that before I started working out I never truly understood the power of physical exercise and the capacity it has to not only improve your physical and mental health but also contribute to the development of self. Fitness takes you on a journey of empowerment that allows you to challenge yourself both physically and mentally every single day, helping you overcome fears, distinguish weaknesses, break mental boundaries and achieve goals that you maybe once thought impossible. 

 

Many associate physical exercise with physical appearance and physique, but exercise is so much more than weight loss and working out. We are all quite aware that exercise is good for us but do we truly understand the power that physical activity has to transform the human brain. It’s quite astonishing to think that we as humans have the potential to immediately positivity alter our mood, heighten our focus and improve our cognitive state with the action of just one 30 minute workout! But do you know why this is? 

 

So firstly let’s look at the short term benefits that exercise can have for your mental health: 

• Just a single workout has the potential to have an immediate effect on the brain by increasing levels of neurotransmitters such as endorphins, dopamine, serotonin, and noradrenaline. (These are known as the ‘feel-good chemicals, which explains that mood enhancement right after you work out). 

• The release of these endorphins has the ability to relieve anxiety and stress from the brain, giving you that predominant anti-depressant effect. 

 

Now let’s explore some of the long term benefits: 

• A plethora of medical studies affirm that exercise can protect and strengthen your brain’s susceptibility to incurable diseases such as dementia. 

• Exercise has the potential to expand areas of the brain that are essential to memory retention, planning, and task management.  

• The release of endorphins can also aid in the development of brain cells; with research stating that exercise can influence and enable the brain to grow new neuronal connections (neurogenesis).  

 

The way we perceive mental health is changing and we are all slowly coming to terms with the fact that although we can’t physically see or most times even notice one struggles with their mental health, it is just as real and as important as a physical illness. Most importantly we are beginning to take more care of our mental health, 

realising that nobody’s life is smooth sailing and that we all have ups and downs, and that it is actually normal to not be ok all the time.  

 

Fitness is an amazing source of therapy, although I think it’s very important to remember that you are your only opponent and it’s not a race but a marathon. It’s easy to start comparing ourselves to others on social media and with everybody chasing a trend these days it makes it harder to stay true to yourself. Maintaining focus on what suits YOUR lifestyle and what will help improve YOUR overall personal happiness is what matters the most. I mean don’t start deadlifting just because you saw a post of someone you admire on Instagram doing it, do what YOU enjoy and what makes YOU happy, because only then will change become sustainable, and only then will you reap the full benefits of physical activity!

 

Corrine Best 

Instagram:@wholisticme_

 

The author of this article/blog/ is studying to become a Level 3 Personal Trainer. Further detail regarding the author can be found via the website or social media handle listed above.

 

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