Anyone who plays sports can tell you that it’s not just about the physical workout, but also the mental one as well. You need to be focused and determined in order to succeed, and being able to push your body to its limits requires you to dig deep mentally as well. Playing sports has been shown to have many positive effects on your overall mental health, from improving self-confidence and problem-solving skills to boosting mood and learning skills. If you are trying to figure out how sports can help your mental health, there are several tips that can help you get started in this area of life.
Benefits of exercise on depression
Exercise has been proven to reduce symptoms of depression by increasing serotonin and dopamine levels, known as mood-boosting neurotransmitters. When you exercise, stress hormones in your body decrease, which further helps decrease depressive feelings. Additionally, exercise increases levels of norepinephrine, a hormone that facilitates learning and memory in addition to aiding alertness. Being active is just as important for those suffering from depression as it is for everyone else; not exercising could exacerbate their condition. To experience long-term improvements in depressive symptoms, it’s important to engage in physical activity at least four times per week for at least 30 minutes at a time. There are also numerous other benefits associated with being physically active. Physical activity may be prescribed by doctors as a form of treatment for patients who have difficulty functioning or experiencing pleasure due to depression. The best exercises are those that cause your heart rate to increase while also requiring movement throughout your entire body—examples include walking, running, biking and swimming. It’s also important to incorporate strength training into your routine—strength training involves working with weights or resistance bands and tones muscles while boosting metabolism and muscle mass. Strength training has been shown to relieve symptoms of depression more effectively than aerobic exercise alone when used in combination with antidepressant medications—this is likely due to strength training helping build lean muscle mass, which improves metabolism so you burn more calories even when resting.
Exercise as an antidepressant
Exercise is well-known as a mood booster and for its ability to lower stress and anxiety. In many cases, exercise has been found to be as effective as medication in easing depression. For some people, regular physical activity is just what they need to combat negative thoughts while they’re sitting at work or in class—the type of thing that might prevent them from getting out of bed on a bad day. Some suggest that cardio workouts are best for beating depression; others say strength training is more helpful. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all prescription when it comes to exercise and depression; it’s good to experiment with different types until you find something that works for you. And if nothing seems to work, know that professional help is always available. Write a business plan: Most new businesses don’t succeed. The reason? They lack focus, direction and market knowledge. A business plan is your road map to success. It answers critical questions such as: Where will my business start? What kind of business am I going into? Who will I sell my products/services to? How much money do I need to get started? How much time do I have before I run out of cash? What skills do I have (or don’t have) that will affect my chances for success? Do I have a backup plan if things go wrong? Can I afford to take a risk on starting my own business? Writing a business plan forces you to think about these issues and gives you an opportunity to brainstorm solutions. You’ll also learn valuable information about yourself and your goals by completing each section of your business plan. This self-knowledge will be invaluable once you’re up and running. If all else fails, remember there’s no shame in working for someone else!
Exercise and anxiety
If you have anxiety, there’s a good chance you’ve found yourself avoiding exercise. Exercise has been shown to decrease stress in a variety of people, so it should come as no surprise that many with anxiety avoid it. However, physical activity helps release endorphins and may actually help alleviate or lessen some of the symptoms associated with an anxiety disorder. So if you’re someone who avoids exercise because of feelings of nervousness or worry, it might be worth incorporating into your life to see how it makes you feel—you might find that it helps manage your feelings without medications. And even if moderate activity doesn’t help directly alleviate these feelings, exercising will make you feel better about yourself by helping build confidence and improving self-esteem. If you do try it out, just remember to pace yourself; start slowly and don’t push too hard until you know what works for your body. Remember: It’s supposed to be fun! To sum up…it’s important to know that everyone is different when it comes to handling anxiety and panic attacks; what works for one person may not work for another. Just because one treatment method doesn’t seem to work well for you, doesn’t mean something else won’t work at all (or vice versa). But if all else fails, just remember: You’re not alone! Many people are dealing with similar issues—and getting professional help from a doctor can only benefit your recovery process.
Other benefits of exercise on mental illness
It’s well established that exercise has major physical benefits. But when it comes to mental illness, many of these effects aren’t as obvious—but they’re still important. Exercise reduces anxiety and stress by releasing chemicals in our brain called endorphins, as well as hormones like oxytocin and dopamine that make us feel happier. Exercise also reduces fatigue and sleep problems caused by depression. Even though exercise doesn’t change some of the cognitive symptoms of depression, such as thinking errors or negative thoughts, it can help with feelings of hopelessness—and perhaps even increase our resilience to negative thoughts in general. Exercise is also a great distraction from difficult emotions and overwhelming situations, which is why it’s often used as an effective treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In fact, PTSD patients who exercised regularly had better outcomes than those who did not. And finally, exercise helps reduce pain for people suffering from chronic pain conditions like fibromyalgia. All of these factors can contribute to a better quality of life for people with mental illnesses.
