How to Maintain Mental Health With Exercise

There are numerous benefits of regular exercise. Most people are familiar with how exercise trims the waistline and builds tone and muscle, but daily exercise also helps fight depression and other mental conditions like Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD or ADHD). In some cases, medications can even be eliminated once a routine workout is established since exercising changes chemistry in the brain. Learn to maintain mental health with exercise by reading on.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Know that a recent study performed at Duke University observed people with depression during a four month period who had begun an exercise routine 30 minutes a day, 3 times per week. Of that group, 60 percent of them got rid of their depression without antidepressants. Compare this to the percentage rate of participants in a separate study who relied on antidepressant medication only for depression. It was also 60 percent.
2. Realize that everyone can benefit mentally from exercise. It can help you to think and to sort out problems or make decisions. Exercise also helps to alleviate stress and tension or even to cope with grieving or other major life changes.
3. Discover that your body releases natural pain killers when you exercise. These are endorphins which create increased feelings of happiness. Daily exercise also leads to better sleep and more energy, which both contribute to fighting depression and other chemical imbalances in the brain.
4. Understand that exercise can be taken in any form. Realize that it's important for you to pick an exercise that you enjoy so that you'll stick with it. Stay away from exercises that make you feel extremely miserable or that you are bored with. Take note that whichever exercise you choose to do, you will sweat, and it will be harder at first; but it will get easier with consistency, time and practice.
5. Stick with exercise classes or other sports you like but may not know or understand yet. Just because everyone else in the class or on the team knows what they are doing now doesn't mean they always knew what was up with the activity. It takes time to learn a new routine, dance steps and rules to games. It also takes time to build up stamina--don't give up.
6. Exercise by walking a few minutes a day if you're not used to training. Work out while seated if you prefer. No matter where you are, there're exercises for you. Find workout and sports information online if you don't belong to a gym or recreation center, or you don't belong to a team of some kind. Exercise at home to maintain mental health. Keep moving.
7. Keep active a few times per weak—even if that means walking around the mall or a grocery store for thirty minutes. Build your confidence and self-esteem by keeping fit and maintain mental health with exercise.
8. Practice soft exercises like Yoga, meditation and palates, which not only exercise your body but also work to relax your mind and breathing. These are exercises that were designed for the mind and spirit.
9. Reduce anxiety, depression and the affects of other chemical imbalances in the brain with regular weekly exercise. Feel better and enjoy life more--maintain mental health with exercise.