The Benefits of Regular Exercise

What Are The Benefits Of Regular Exercise?

Exercise has the potential to benefit your physical and mental health and help treat or prevent several illnesses. With all of these potential benefits, there’s no question why the American Heart Association and other healthcare organizations worldwide recommend that all adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week. According to the American Heart Association, regular exercise is associated with a lower risk of several diseases, including:

• Heart disease
• Stroke
• Type 2 diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Several types of cancer

In addition to lowering the risk of certain diseases, regular exercise is also associated with other health benefits, such as:

• Sleep improvements, including decreased insomnia and improved sleep apnea
• Decreased risk of weight gain, obesity, and related illnesses
• Improved balance and bone health

As with any health program, you should check with your healthcare provider before starting a new exercise regimen.

Mental Health Benefits Of Exercise

While the benefits of exercise for medical conditions may be intuitive for some, there are also many mental health benefits to exercise, including:

• Improved memory, attention, and processing speed
• Improved quality of life and sense of well-being
• Decrease in symptom severity of mental health conditions

A 2023 medical review published in Cureus showed that yoga was beneficial for patients with schizophrenia, and patients with alcohol dependence syndrome also benefitted from regular exercise. Exercise has also been shown to help combat depression and anxiety. The same review study showed that exercise is a useful supportive treatment for anxiety disorders, though it isn’t as effective as medication therapy.

Many studies have examined the physiological changes associated with the benefits of exercise on mental health conditions. One study published in the Annual Review of Medicine noted changes in multiple chemicals in the brain following exercise. For patients with alcohol dependence syndrome, exercise was found to decrease cravings. This is likely through the increased release of endorphins and natural opioid peptides in the brain with exercise. These neurochemicals cause nerve cells to grow and make new connections in the hippocampus region of the brain that helps regulate your mood.

In addition to the neurochemical changes in the brain, exercise improves sleep quality. Both moderate and strenuous exercise have been shown to increase rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Quality sleep improves decision-making, problem-solving capability, emotional control, and mood.

Exercise And Depression

Depression is extremely common, with approximately 10% of adults suffering from the condition.

Fortunately, moderate to vigorous-intensity exercise seems to have the most significant improvement in depression symptoms. For people with mild to moderate depression, exercise may work as well as an antidepressant, though exercise alone isn’t enough for people with severe depression. Exercise is believed to help depression through the release of endorphins and other neurochemicals. In addition, it may allow you to focus on something other than the stressors that may be increasing your depression and anxiety.

Exercise And Anxiety

Anxiety can be debilitating and have a significant impact on your day-to-day functioning. It’s also common for anxiety to occur with other mental health conditions such as depression. In addition to the disruption in your overall well-being, anxiety can also increase your risk of other health conditions, such as cardiovascular disease.

Exercise can reduce anxiety symptoms and improve the physical manifestations of anxiety by decreasing muscle tension and increasing endorphin release. The mental health benefits of exercise on anxiety are independent of age, gender, and physical health status.

Exercise And Stress

Exercise can help relieve stress through some of the same mechanisms that improve other mental health conditions. Exercise can reduce the negative effects of stress on your body, improving your cardiovascular, digestive, and immune symptoms. In addition, the release of endorphins improves your mood. Exercise may also serve as a form of meditation, allowing you to stay calm and focused.

Exercise And ADHD

Exercise has been shown to improve attention in people with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This may be because exercise causes an increased release of a group of neurotransmitters called catecholamines and dopamine. These neurotransmitters work on parts of the brain that are believed to play a role in ADHD and that are affected by the medications used to treat ADHD.

Exercise, Trauma, And PTSD

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is unique among mental health conditions because the cause is known, and specific triggers can usually be identified. Exercise is helpful as part of a holistic approach to this type of mental health condition. Moderate to low-intensity exercise has been shown to improve physical capacity and mental health in people who have PTSD. In addition to the increase in endorphin and catecholamine release, exercise can foster a sense of community and help build a social support system.

Getting Started With Exercise When You Struggle With Mental Health Issues

Anytime you are considering starting an exercise program, it is important to consult your healthcare professional to make sure you are healthy enough for physical activity. Some techniques to try as you get started include:

• Try different types of exercises to find one that you enjoy. Exercise, especially for mental health, should be enjoyable. This could mean joining a gym, finding an exercise class, or just walking around your community to reap the many benefits of exercising outdoors.
• Build activity into your daily routines.
• Start slow and build up. Going too fast too quickly may increase your risk of injury.
• Break things up. You don’t have to get your whole exercise program in at once.
• Listen to your body. Slow down or take a break if you are dizzy or short of breath.
• Consider joining friends or colleagues for exercise or start an exercise program with people you enjoy spending time with. This will help you stay accountable for your exercise program and increase your enjoyment by having social support.

The key to a successful long-term exercise program is to slowly start incorporating it into your regular routine so you do not burn yourself out by starting too quickly.

Physical Benefits Of Regular Exercise

Exercise has many benefits for your overall physical health, but it also has direct physical benefits. Exercise can help you:

• Control your weight and prevent obesity and its complications
• Improve your bone density and muscle mass
• Boost your energy levels

Additionally, while blood pressure may increase while you are actively exercising, it typically drops lower after exercise than it was before.

What Constitutes “Regular Exercise”?

Whether you walk, run, cycle, swim, dance, lift weights, garden, or play a sport, regular exercise is anything you do consistently.

Most people should try to exercise at least 3–5 times per week to achieve maximum benefits.

How Much Exercise Do I Need?

The World Health Organization recommends varying levels of exercise for different age groups. For adults, 150–300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity is recommended per week. This breaks down to 5 days per week of 30- to 60-minute exercise periods, or you can break it down to even smaller bits throughout your day.

Overcoming Obstacles To Exercise

Many things can make it difficult to start or maintain an exercise program. Fortunately, there are different strategies you can use to try to overcome these obstacles.

• If you struggle to fit exercise into your busy schedule, start by tracking your activities and identifying at least five 30-minute spots you can use each week (or 15-minute spots if that’s where you can start). Choose activities you can do even for just a few minutes if possible. Try to stretch, stand, or walk when you can. Use work or residential facilities if they are available.
• Finding an accountability partner is another way to improve your chances of sticking with it, help you stay motivated, and provide some social support. Schedule your exercises daily to increase the chances that you will participate regularly.
• To prevent injury, start slow, warm up and cool down regularly, and build up your exercise as tolerated.

In combination with therapy and medication, exercise can help treat many mental health conditions and is an important tool in your mental health toolbox as you work to improve your mental health and wellness.

Start Exercising To Improve Your Mental Health Today

Experts recommend regular exercise due to its benefits to mental and physical health. You can start today by taking a walk outside or looking into exercise programs near you. If you have existing mental or physical conditions, consider talking with your healthcare professional to discuss how to safely incorporate exercise into your daily routine.