Mental Health, Fitness and Exercise.
We would all agree that it would seem literately impossible to go a lifetime without getting sick, yet we don’t give a second thought to the fact that our mind could become sick and, with the right circumstances, can.
Depression and anxiety negatively affect a person’s thoughts, emotions and behaviours. Left untreated these feelings could lead to a mental illness and reduce a person’s ability to relate to others or even function on a day to day basis. There are many simple and easy ways that could help overcome some of these feelings before they increase or worse become permanent.
Research is constantly proving that quality exercise has a profound effect on our mental health as well as the physical benefits.
Our Brain.
Our brain is a complex grouping of nerve cells and other structures that help us think or react to the environment. While some parts of our brain are responsible for our vital bodily functions, such as breathing and heartbeat, other parts of our brain control learning and memory, our senses and emotions.
There is a chemical in your brain that kicks in when you exercise and leads to feelings of happiness, even euphoria known as Endorphins.
Endorphins are the body’s natural drug, designed to relieve stress and enhance pleasure. Add to this the combination of physical activity and social connection and endorphin production can be Signiant.
When you’re doing something with a group of people, the energy level is higher and more endorphins are released. Happiness has been shown to increase antibodies by as much as 50 percent.
Training & Exercise.
People who come to training do so for various reasons. Strength building, weight loss, fitness or learn a new skill and as much as our bodies benefit from this work so does our mind. In addition to increased energy, people who train and exercise usually find an increased sense of accomplishment as they reach personal fitness goals and feel proud of the improved physical ability that occurs from hours of training. Happy people are also more resistant to diseases ranging from the common cold to heart disease, providing even further evidence why exercise is good for you, while stress and anxiety tend to make people more susceptible to sickness, including diabetes and stroke. There are many ways to harness our natural endorphins to help life’s problems melt away and exercise isn’t the only thing you can do to release endorphins. Smiling, eating certain foods, and even gossiping, can also do the trick.
- Remember that gossip is the act of talking about other people, but it doesn’t have to be negative or judgmental. Just talking with your parents or friends on what your siblings have been up to, or joking about a family member’s antics, is a way to strengthen bonds and improve your mood.
Keeping a lookout.
It’s totally natural to feel down at times and of course life is filled with extreme highs and lows and most of us deal with these feelings in an appropriate manner.
However, exercise is not always the answer nor is it a replacement for medical advice. When feelings, such as depression or anxiety prevent us from functioning properly, like an inability to enjoy yourself with friends because you are worrying about something out of your personal control or constantly have negative thoughts about yourself, it could be a sign that you need to seek professional help.
Talk with your doctor about how you’re feeling or at least a friend. Many people are reluctant to talk to their doctors about mental health because of the bad stigma attached to it.
Trust your gut instinct, particularly if you feel that you can’t trust your judgment and bring the issue to your doctor’s attention.
Chances are that you’re probably going through a rough patch and will see it through however, prevention is better that the cure and just like any physical ailment, it is better treated in its earliest stages, making a full recovery more possible.
Whether it be through exercise, food, friends or a physician, staying active, both physically and mentally, is the best way to stay healthy.
Ultimately a combination of all these factors will not only assist your life, it will make for a better life.
References:
http://www.wikihow.com/Release-Endorphins
http://people.howstuffworks.com/mentally-ill.htm
http://science.howstuffworks.com/life/exercise-happiness1.htm