Physical exercise is a great tool to improve mental well-being. Practicing it not only exercises the body but also has a very beneficial effect on the brain. In a society where stress, anxiety, and depression are increasingly common, sport becomes our greatest ally.
Nowadays, we also know some of the psychological benefits of practicing sports regularly. A specialist in clinical psychology explains that it is associated with a series of molecular, organic, and functional changes. These help prevent brain aging, depression, or anxiety.
This article discusses the mental benefits of physical activity and how it can influence stress or depression.
Exercise reduces stress.
Do you feel in a better mood after a gym session? This is due to the brain’s release of endorphins while we exercise. These neurotransmitters have an analgesic function and promote well-being and, sometimes, generate a feeling of euphoria. In this way, staying physically active helps us reduce stress.
In the same way, physical exercise modulates the release of adrenaline and noradrenaline, neurotransmitters responsible for activation functions, so it has an anxiolytic effect.
In short, sport is an ideal tool against stress, as it not only improves stress control but also helps prevent it. Regarding the latter, for example, certain restorative yoga postures, such as uttanasana or tadasana, are very relaxing, relieving body tension and promoting sleep.
Sport as a treatment for depression:
The detection and treatment of mental illness is critical to improve the situation of those affected, who often feel deeply sad and have difficulty enjoying themselves. Depression is a very limiting illness, and it may be impossible for the person who suffers from it to get out of bed.
Physical exercise is a tool against depression, along with psychological therapy. One of the reasons is that sports practice stimulates the release of serotonin, whose function is to regulate mood. So a high level of this neurotransmitter in the brain helps improve mood and alleviate the effects of depression and anxiety.
It should be added that it is important to increase physical activity gradually during the treatment of depression. This provides positive reinforcement and, if done with other people, also social reinforcement. The specialist emphasizes that regulated and supervised exercise is one of the greatest aids, to prevent, and to overcome this mood disorder.
Furthermore, it is important not to forget that training regularly makes us feel good, which increases self-esteem and self-perception.
Physical exercise for a young brain:
Physical training works both the body and the brain. Specifically, when exercising, the muscles communicate with the brain with the help of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. Sport helps to modulate this and, in this way, works on cognitive function and prevents neurological deterioration.
Most recommended exercises for mental health:
Any sporting activity is very beneficial for health, as long as it is done in moderation and using the right technique. One specialist points out that generally a good combination of aerobic training to keep the cardiovascular system healthy and strength exercises to keep the skeletal muscles strong is quite effective.
It is also important to know the characteristics and needs of each case, choosing the least harmful activities and, above all, those that we enjoy. The key to physical exercise is consistency, and if we do not do something that we enjoy, we will not remain consistent in its practice.
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