Exercise It’s All Mental

By John Mays, MEd, CHT

Midlife Refocus

. https://www.midliferefocus.com/

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Exercise It’s All Mental

Most people start a fitness program for the aesthetic benefits and then hope to improve their cardiovascular health, build muscle and/or burn fat. What they quickly notice is that exercise has many mental benefits which can lead to the positive addictions that lead to long term fitness habits that are key to long lasting progress.

Many studies show that allowing time for exercise provides some serious mental benefits. Get inspired to exercise by learning how these unexpected byproducts of working out can benefit mental health, relationships and lead to a healthier and happier life overall.

How Exercise Positively Affects the Mind

1. Reduce Stress

Rough day at the office? Take a walk or head to the gym for a quick workout. One of the most common mental benefits of exercise is stress relief. Working up a sweat can help manage physical and mental stress. Exercise also increases concentrations of norepinephrine, a chemical that can moderate the brain’s response to stress. So go ahead and get sweaty working out can reduce stress and boost the body’s ability to deal with existing mental tension. Win-win!

2. Improve Self-Image

Increasing fitness can boost self-esteem and improve positive self-image. Regardless of weight or age, exercise can increase a person’s perception of their attractiveness, and give them hope instead of despair over gaining weight.

3. Prevent Cognitive Decline

As aging and degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s kill off brain cells, our brains decrease in size and we lose many important brain functions in the process. Exercise can’t “cure” Alzheimer’s, but can protect the brain against cognitive decline that begins after age 45. Working out, especially in middle age, can boost the chemicals in the brain that support and prevent degeneration.

4. Alleviate Anxiety

The chemicals that are released during and after exercise can help people with anxiety disorders calm down. Short duration cardio or weight training can reduce anxiety release dopamine which is released in response to any form of pleasure, like exercise, sex, or food. A moderate workout can be the equivalent of a sleeping pill, even helping people with insomnia get to sleep. Moving around five to six hours before bedtime raises the body’s core temperature. When the body temp drops back to normal, it signals the body that it’s time to sleep.