The Effects of Exercise on Mental Health

In my personal experience every time that I have left the gym I always felt better about myself and life in general. Turns out there is a reason for this and this is because your brain gives off endorphins when you exercise. Exercise can help with depression and anxiety by giving off endorphins; endorphins are chemical in your brain that produces a sense of happiness and euphoria. Another benefit of exercise for mental health is that it is a great way to relieve stress. According to Dr. Shawn Charles, Increasing your heart rate can actually reverse stress-induced brain damage by stimulating the production of neuro hormones like norepinephrine, which not only improves cognition and mood but it also improves thinking clouded by stressful events. A few other benefits of exercise would be that is helps with getting a better quality of sleep and it helps boost your brain. The main thing to think about with exercise is just find something that you enjoy and just be consistent with your training. Exercise should just be about feeling good about yourself and moving your body. If you are having a hard time staying motivated with exercise I would ask “why am I doing this”. The answer should be simple; it should be about being healthy and relieving some of that mental stress.