7 Benefits of Fitness for your Mental Health

Whether you’re a regular or sporadic gym goer, think how you feel when you walk back onto the street with your bag full of sweaty gym gear over your shoulder. You feel okay, right? Maybe more than okay; quite possibly, you feel pretty good about yourself; while experiencing post-workout euphoria born out of an exercised body and a satisfied mind.

Even if you’ve never been to a gym in your life, think how you feel after vigorously vacuuming the whole house, trimming the hedges or mowing the lawn. You’ve worked hard and feel like you’ve worked hard. You can also see the results.

Whether pushing weights or a lawnmower, it’s a workout and you can’t deny the sense of contented fatigue or the sense of accomplishment. That’s exercise for you, and the first sure sign it’s not too bad for your mental health.

Find below seven other benefits of exercise for your mental health.

One: Fitness is about enhancing well being

Of course, we can enhance our well being artificially, but our brain, heart, lungs, liver and kidneys are never in complete agreement. Or we can seek a true sense of well being naturally with the most unadulterated, uncontaminated wonder drug on the planet: exercise.

And exercise is highly addictive. Once you get past those first few dubious workouts and into a routine, exercise and its trusty sidekick, fitness, will grab you by the senses and take your concept of well being where it’s never been before.

Two: Exercise is about lifting clouds

Depression doesn’t like exercise; that’s been proven time and time again. Regular exercise can lift you out of any form of mild to moderate depression just as well as antidepressants. Plus, there’s the added satisfaction of having done it yourself. Why rely on pills for your well being when there is a tried and true way to beat the blues through your own healthy actions?

Three: Fitness is about fighting fears

Have you ever heard of endorphins? They’re a well being chemical in our body, with the right coaxing, can do wonderfully positive things to our brain. Unfortunately, they’re hard to convince and one of the only ways to get them working on our anxiety and stress levels is if we workout. Then, and only then, do they go to town.

Exercise is a sure fire way to reduce tension and ease day-to-day stress. It can even beat the worse feelings of anxiety into submission.

Four: Fitness is about remembering

An unfit mind is a forgetful mind. A fit mind is like a memory stick with unlimited GBs. Exercise doesn’t just build muscle, it builds memory.

So forget all the excuses and give it a try.

Five: Fitness is about focus

How often does your concentration drift, be it at work or at home? An unfit body leads to an unfit, unfocussed mind. Through regular exercise, your body gets fit and your mind comes along for the ride. With better concentration, you can focus on tasks for longer and achieve far more in any given day.

Six: Fitness is about feeling good about yourself

A happier, calmer mind, better concentration, clearer thinking and a sharper memory are just the start. With exercise and the holistic fitness it brings, you’ll feel better about yourself in every way. And the confidence you carry out from the gym can help you lift other loads which seemed way too heavy before.

Seven: Fitness is about taking that first step

And it’s often the hardest one. You know what’s coming is hard work. But ask any fitness fanatic why they keep doing it. Most will say that the hard work becomes addictive, enjoyable and even fun.

So take the first step and give fitness a try. Google “workout” and start exercising. Or better still, get into a gym and start a well-planned journey to all round well being.