Psychological Impact of Daily Exercise

Psychological Impact of Daily Exercise

We often discuss the benefits of exercise as it pertains to our overall health, specifically our physical health. An often overlooked aspect of our health is our psychological well being. The importance of mental health to our well being is paramount due to its impact on nearly every aspect of our life.

Mental health often times improves our quality of life. When we don’t have to constantly deal with depression, anxiety, excessive stress and worry, addictions, and other psychological problems, we are more able to live our lives to the fullest.1 Mental health also strengthens our abilities to have healthy relationships, make positive life choices, handle the ups and downs of life, discover and live up to our potential.1

During exercise our body goes through a process of releasing hormones (endorphins) throughout our body. These endorphins trigger the “feel good” center or reward center in our brains much like sweets. This biochemical response within the body is the reason that people become addicted to the things that elicit the endorphin rush.2  

In today’s modern medicine, drugs are prescribed to treat all forms of illness. The goal of prescribed medicine when pertaining to mental health is not to cure an illness, but to give relief of symptoms.2 Often times psychiatrists prescribe a medicine to a patient and the patient continues to deal with the same mental health defects they were dealing with prior to taking the medicine. More and more often doctors are now realizing the benefit of pairing exercise with their prescriptions and seeing their patients benefit much more than only treating with medicine.2

The next time you get the “runner’s high” or leave the gym in a better mood, know that there’s a reason why. You, yourself, are the primary anti-depressant and can positively benefit your overall mental health with a little bit of exercise. The common phrase “healthy mind, healthy body, healthy life” holds true, as one can impact the other whether it be positive or negative.

References:

1 Ripsych.org,. (2016). Importance of Mental Health. Retrieved 21 February 2016, from http://www.ripsych.org/importance-of-mental-health

2 Weir, K. (2016). The exercise effect. http://www.apa.org. Retrieved 21 February 2016, from http://www.apa.org/monitor/2011/12/exercise.aspx