Exercise and Fitness For Mental Wellness

It's almost a truism today that running makes runners feel good, to the point that many experience a "runner's high." This euphoric feeling is related to the release of endorphins, which act as painkillers and mood elevators; chemically, endorphins are related to opiates. It is not surprising that runners become addicted.

But exercise releases other brain chemicals as well, including serotonin and adrenalin. By exercising to an optimal level, you can improve your mood in the most natural way possible: by releasing natural chemicals in your brain.

Get Going

It can be hard to move when you're depressed. You're tired, you don't want to be bothered, and you certainly don't feel motivated. But what you don't want – exercise – is in actuality one of the best possible treatments. Exercise, even without the brain chemicals released, will increase your sense of control over yourself and your self esteem. It can help distract you from problems, and give you a physical outlet for frustrations. The simple improvement of your health and body that follow a regular schedule of exercise makes you feel better physically, which will make you feel better mentally, and you'll sleep more soundly when you've had a good workout.

You can get moving by starting slowly, just trying a walk around the block if that seems like a task. Do just a little more each day, until you start to feel like doing more than walking. Try to find an exercise that you enjoy, and do it regularly. If you can exercise with a friend or a group, just being social will help pull your mood up even more. And the sunshine and fresh air from exercising outside will benefit you as well.

The optimal level is at least 30 minutes of exercise each day for three to five days per week. If you can't manage that, then work toward that goal while starting slowly, preferably with a short period of exercise several days per week.

How Does It Work?

We know that exercise releases endorphins. Endorphins work positively on the neurotransmitters that improve mood. Besides helping boost endorphins and other positive brain chemicals, exercise can reduce cortisol, a stress-inducing hormone. The increase in body temperature secondary to exercise has a calming effect on the mind. The solid workouts can help you sleep better and release tension in muscles.

Overall, these changes improve a wide variety of mental symptoms from sadness and fatigue to anger, stress, and irritability, all related to depression. Besides endorphins, exercise releases serotonin, a brain chemical that influences sleep and wake cycles, libido, appetite and nausea, and mood. If you have a stressful job, exercise can burn off the adrenalin that you have accumulated over the day.

Exercise also improves cardiovascular health. We have known for a long time that stress and cardiovascular help are interrelated in ways we don't completely understand, and that if you can improve your cardiovascular health, your mood will probably improve as well.
A sedentary lifestyle has been strongly linked with depression as well.

Overall, research has indicated that regular exercise is just as good a treatment for mild or moderate depression as medication is. Concurrently, a sedentary lifestyle increases your risk of depression.