Exercise & Mental Health
It’s no secret that exercise greatly helps your mental health. We know that moving our bodies can help us feel a sense of stress relief and in turn help us to feel better mental and of course physically.
Earlier this month it was Men’s Health Week, so that got me thinking about what I wanted to discuss in this short blog. How much exercise is really needed to ensure it becomes most beneficial to helping you feel mentally better after training? This is a question that most may not know the answer to. It is generally not a matter of just doing one training session and you then become stress free and happier for the rest of the week. Consistency is key to getting the best mental health benefits out of exercise. It’s also about what type of exercise you choose too! Let’s break these two points down:
So how much exercise do we need to do to really ensure we reap the benefits for our mental health? According to mayoclinic.org, doing 30 minutes or more of exercise a day for three to five days a week may significantly improve depression or anxiety symptoms. When I read this I thought it was an accurate statement because whilst we get the benefits of endorphins releasing instantly both during and post exercise, we really want to feel the long term benefits as well. This is why it is important we find a structured routine that includes regular exercise multiple times a week. With that said it must be exercise and not physical activity (such as household chores!), they are different. Exercise is usually structured and has multiple repetitions and often of a higher intensity than tasks you do around the house or in your day job.
What type of exercise should I do to help improve my mood and mental health? There is no one particular exercise or routine that is said to be better than the other to help improve your mood. It really comes down to an individual preference. The main thing to keep in mind when deciding on what type of exercise you are going to do (especially if your main goal is to improve your mental state) is that it needs to be something you’re interested in and something you’re going to enjoy. You would almost be reversing the benefits if you are participating in a session that you’re not enjoying. For some people lifting big heavy weights is not enjoyable and they just want to run! This is totally ok! You’re still moving and exerting your body, so you will still get the benefits. Find something you love, make a routine of it and get it done. A combination of many styles is often what people choose. This includes yoga because it is a great tool that helps you find stress relief which is also linked to this topic we are talking about.
Here at Terminator Fitness we have many options to suit all levels and to provide that well rounded exercise experience for all. Our sessions range from Bootcamps, yoga, to strength & core, plus so much more! We want to ensure we support everyone’s physical and mental wellbeing the best way we can and this is what our clients love!
To see our timetable click HERE.