Effects on Exercise
Everyone always says "exercise is good for the body it will make you feel good or better about yourself" but they never mention the mental effects it has on the brain. Exercise is more than just losing a few pounds and/or gaining muscle or gaining weight to feel better about your body. Exercise is looked at as such a physical component of daily life but more importantly, it is a huge mental component as well. Some studies even say that exercise can be an effective supplement to medication or therapy.
What if I told you exercise can reduce stress, sadness, and loneliness, increase happiness, and increases the size of different parts of your brain that are essential for memory function, mood, decision making, and aging? There was a TedTalk that I recently watched by Wendy Suzuki, a neuroscientist, discussing the brain-changing benefits immediately following an exercise and the long-lasting components. (I linked the TedTalk below if you would like more detail)
After watching this video, I wanted to put on my headphones and walk out the door to get my exercise on! Not only does it make me feel good inside but now that I know exactly what it is doing within my brain, it’s even more motivation. Let's talk about the short term effects. Studies show that to get these benefits, short and long term, you need to exercise 3-4times a week for 30 minutes minimum and included in that needs to be some type of aerobic exercise to get your heart rate up. A single workout can shift your emotions to a happier mood because of the increase in dopamine and serotonin, neurotransmitters in the brain that increase mood also known as the "feel-good hormone". After a single workout, your attention span is heightened and can increase it for 2+ hours and improve reaction times.
The long-lasting effects are what is more important in the long run. The prefrontal cortex, which is the tip of the brain located behind the forehead, focuses on decision making and logic. The temporal lobe, which is located right above the ears, is essential for long-term memory. Exercise can increase the size of both the prefrontal cortex and temporal lobe by creating new cells. The creation of new cells makes those areas of the brain expand, adding extra protection to the brain. This is beneficial at all ages of life, but especially as individuals age. For example, Alzheimer’s and Dementia, these two diseases are prevalent with the elderly population. You cannot fix or cure these diseases, but exercise makes them take longer to hit the individual.
Another positive of exercise is it can help decrease symptoms of mental illness such as depression, anxiety, stress, ADHD, PTSD/Trauma, etc. This helps by boosting the endorphins in your brain that cause you to relax, have pleasure, feel less pain, and reduce the stress hormones. Allowing yourself to run for 15 minutes a day or walk an hour a day can reduce the risk of depression by 26%. Anxiety and stress are reduced by the release of endorphins that help you focus and calm down. As for ADHD exercise can be better than medication because like said earlier it allows you to focus immediately after for 2+ hours longer than you could before. Lastly, it can help PTSD and trauma by creating the "unstuck" feeling that individuals feel with these disorders. The best exercises for that are outdoor activities like hiking, rafting, skiing, and movements that get both arms and legs involved like dancing, running, swimming, etc. https://www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-living/the-mental-health-benefits-of-exercise.htm
Those are just a few reasons on how exercise can help with mental stability, disorders, and overall mood in yourself and others. My advice is to try this for a week, log how you feel before you start, and every day after your exercise. It does not have to be intense, start with a 15-minute walk around the block, and once you feel stronger increase that time by adding in another 5-10 minutes. If you already exercise daily, try adding something different or abnormal to your daily routine. Exercise is individually based and looks different on everyone, do what is comfortable for you and see how you feel after just a week of changing up your daily routine.