Natalie's Fitness Elements Garage

Nov 10, 2023

The Importance of Exercise for Mental Health 

Over 57.8 million individuals living in the States reported symptoms of mental illness in 2021. This number keeps on increasing due to work-life imbalance, indulgence in recreational drugs, and altered social relationships. 

If you are experiencing feelings of dissociation, frequent crying bouts, or extreme nervousness, you are at higher risk of developing a mental health disorder. Conservative therapies, including medications and psychotherapy, help you to deal with poor mental health. However, physical exercise plays a pivotal role in treating mental illnesses.

Let's explore the importance of exercise in dealing with various mental disorders and managing high stress levels:


How does Exercise Differentiate from Physical Activity?

Any physical activity you do, such as walking, mopping your floor, or playing a sport, is not considered exercise. In contrast to regular physical activity, exercise is a pre-planned and structured bodily movement performed to target specific muscles promptly. In addition, the exercise regime contains a set of repetitions, breathing control, and cool-down to avoid unnecessary fatigue while building body endurance and strength. 

Carry a 300 ml water bottle in your hand. Then, bend your elbow and straighten it 10 times. Taking a 10-second break after performing 5 repetitions is an example of strengthening exercises of forearm muscles.

What Impact Do Exercises Have On Mental Illnesses?

There is much more to exercise and its benefits than increasing muscle mass and aerobic capacity. Surely, exercise enables you to elevate physical health, tone your physique, reduce belly fat, enhance your sexual life, and offer a longer life. But that's not the only reason why you keep on doing exercises once you've started them. 

Regular exercise improves overall well-being. It boosts energy levels throughout the day, improves altered sleeping patterns, stimulates better memory, and offers a more positive and relaxed state of mind. This makes exercise a potent therapy for dealing with common mental health disorders. 

Regular Exercise and Improved Well-being 

Performing regular exercise brings a healing effect on depression, anxiety, and ADHD. It reduces the excess release of the cortisol hormone, which is associated with high stress levels, frequent mood swings, and poor sleep quality. 

You don't have to sweat all day in the gym to reap these advantages of exercise. A modest amount of daily physical activity can make a massive difference in your overall well-being.

Regular Exercise and Reduced Depression

A study suggests that regular exercise treats mild to moderate depression as successfully as antidepressant pills. Unlike antidepressant medications, exercise doesn't force you to sacrifice well-being by triggering certain side effects, including upset stomach, altered sleeping schedule, low energy levels, and increased prevalence of body aches. 

Another research performed by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health suggests that running for fifteen minutes daily or walking for an hour lowers your chances of getting a major depressive episode by 26%.

Exercise fights against depression by altering your brain chemistry. It stimulates the growth of neural pathways, reduces inflammation, and forms new neural patterns to facilitate a sense of well-being and calmness. 

It is also involved in the release of endorphins from the central nervous system, which produce positive and happy emotions. Lastly, exercise helps divert your attention from negative thoughts and depressive cycling by engaging in structured and free-flowing bodily movements. 

Regular Exercise and Controlled Anxiety 

Performing regular exercises is an effective and holistic method to relieve anxiety without consuming anti-anxiety medications. It enhances your mental aura and physical energy levels to reduce stress and tension. It is also helpful in boosting your endorphin concentration in the bloodstream, increasing your attention span, and lowering the dissociative symptoms of anxiety. 

For instance, try to feel the sense of your feet on the ground, the rhythm of breathing, or the movement of leaves when the wind passes through them. These are mindfulness techniques that are the key element of aerobic exercise. Not only does it facilitate relaxation, but it also breaks the vicious cycle of ruminating thoughts, which is common in anxious individuals. 

Regular Exercise and ADHD

Doing exercise daily is among the most successful methods to control the symptoms of ADHD. It also aids in improving concentration, boosting memory, and reducing mood swings in people with ADHD. 

The structured and planned bodily movements instantly stimulate the release of norepinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine in the brain, which positively impacts your focus and attention span. That's why working out constantly brings a similar effect to controlling your ADHD as Adderall and Ritalin medications.

Regular Exercise and PTSD

Performing exercises regularly allows your brain to come out of freeze mode, often due to extremely stressful situations faced by people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). When your mind wanders to recall stressful events, divert your attention to moving joints and muscles of your body and focus on the physical sensations to avoid flashbacks associated with traumatic memories. 

Walking on sand, swimming, running, dancing, or weight training are beneficial exercises for easing symptoms of PTSD. 

Outdoor activities such as sailing, mountain biking, hiking, whitewater rafting, rock climbing, and skiing are effective in dealing with the symptoms of PTSD.

Regular Exercise and High-Stress Levels

Stress causes many negative effects on your body. Individuals with high stress levels tend to get muscle tightness in the face, neck, and shoulders. This results in back or neck pain alongside tension headaches. 

You may have chest tightness, increased heartbeat, and muscle cramps due to the overproduction of cortisol hormones associated with increased stress levels. Other common complications of stress include insomnia, ingestion, bloated stomach, diarrhea, or frequent urination.

Exercising is an ideal solution to free your mind from unwanted stress. Structured physical activity aids in relaxing the muscles and relieves tension in the body by releasing endorphins in the brain. Since the body and mind are interconnected when your body feels at ease, so does your mind.

Bottom Line

Having mental health disorders restricts you from living your life to the fullest and damages your interpersonal relationships and professional growth. Practising a well-designed exercise regime enables you to fight against mental illnesses naturally and improves your overall well-being without facing the side effects caused by certain medications. 

How Can I Get My Fitness Back?

If you are tired of trying therapies and various exercise regimes to have better fitness levels and improved well-being, then you have come to the right place. 

At Natalie's Fitness Elements Garage, you will get complete assistance in designing a master workout protocol to regain optimum fitness and improve overall well-being. 

Meet or consult your personal female trainer, Natalie. I’m a certified Master trainer and wellness coach who can structure your training regime to elevate fitness and a healthy lifestyle through in-person or online sessions.

Book an appointment with her to accomplish a well-toned and attractive physique. 


Don't let all your hard work go to waist during the holidays 

The holidays are filled with family, friends, delicious food, and beautiful memories. Our lifestyle changes entirely during the holiday season. They are, however, not necessarily consistent with a healthy way of life. When the holidays arrive, it's easy to fall off the wagon when it comes to our usual healthy eating and exercise routines. 
It's no mystery that holiday living doesn't automatically equate to being healthy. Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, and Christmas dishes may deviate from our year-round diets and prevent us from sustainable weight loss. All those holiday gatherings, along with the stress that the holidays can take a toll on our general health from November to New Year's. This, however, does not have to be the case. Fortunately, with a few strategies and Goodyear personal trainer help, a healthy lifestyle can get maintained all year.
Consume Well-Balanced Meals
Healthy, well-balanced meals will keep you full, which is necessary to avoid harmful party food. According to a wellness coach, people believe that eating less throughout the day would help you conserve calories for a party, but this is a prescription for disaster. You can't expect the supernatural intervention to keep you in control if you go to a party hungry. 
Before heading to a party, give yourself a chance to remain on track by eating well-balanced meals and a nutritious snack suggested by a female personal trainer. A lean protein, a fair bit of healthy fat, and fiber-rich carbs should make up a healthy, balanced diet.
Find Healthier Substitutes For your Favorite Foods
Healthy eating for lifestyle changes doesn't have to mean giving up your holiday favorites; all it takes is a few tweaks and a guide from a Goodyear personal trainer. Green bean casseroles may be made with less butter and bacon, deviled eggs can be made with yogurt instead of mayonnaise, and turkey can get baked rather than deep-fried. Using these easy strategies, you can keep all your favorite foods on your plate without extra calories.
Add Extra Veggies
It's tempting to go all out with our favorite dishes, but sometimes it's just a matter of stocking up on healthier options. Increase the amount of vegetable dishes on the dinner table by adding tiny variations to make them more interesting without becoming unhealthy. Roasted asparagus may be stunning on its own, and roasted carrots or sweet potatoes are flavorful and colorful.
If in doubt, start with vegetables, such as a salad before supper or a vegetable-based appetizer earlier in the day. This will ensure that everyone gets the veggies they need rather than stuffing up on buttery mashed potatoes.

Keep Yourself Hydrated
When you're just dehydrated, you may feel hungry. Consult your female personal trainer to figure out how many liters of water you should drink in a day. She will divide your body weight by half to get the number of fluid ounces you need. For example, if you wight 150 pounds, aim to drink 75 fluid ounces of water throughout the day.
Make Use of the Buddy System
You're more likely to succeed when you have a companion to help you achieve your sustainable weight loss objectives. Find a health buddy with similar weight-loss goals so you can stay motivated and accountable throughout the holidays. Make contact with friends, relatives, and coworkers to find someone who might be a suitable match.
Take a Walk
This time of year, you've got a lot on your plate, and physical exercise might get pushed aside. However, staying active is your secret holiday weapon; it may help you compensate for overeating and decrease stress during the most stressful time of the year. Get involved with friends and family, such as after a holiday dinner with a stroll.
Don't Skip Meals
If you miss a meal, you're virtually sure to sample the cookies your colleague brought. Eat a good meal within an hour or two of waking up, and then every four hours or so after that. If you have breakfast at 8:00 a.m., lunch should be about noon. 
Eat a small, nutritious snack in between breakfast and lunch to keep you going. When it comes to lunchtime, this will reduce your chances of overeating or making bad choices. Between lunch and supper, repeat the process.
Prepare Ahead of Time
Preparing ahead of time might help you avoid gaining weight during the holidays. If you have gatherings planned, find out what dishes will get served or bring a dish of your own. Create a plan for what you'll eat and how much you'll consume ahead of time. For this purpose, consult your wellness coach. She will guide you better.
Get Some Good Sleep
Going out more and staying out later usually entails less sleep. Sleep deprivation makes it difficult to control blood sugar, and you'll eat more and prefer high-fat, high-sugar foods when you're sleep-deprived. Goodyear personal trainer suggests aiming for 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night to avoid mindless eating.
Make a line
Many individuals have an "I'll start tomorrow" mindset over the holiday season, leading to the continuation of unsafe practices. If you're serious about making sustainable weight loss, drawing a line, setting boundaries for yourself, lifestyle changes, and sticking to your food consumption objectives may be beneficial. It's OK to say no to meals and practices that aren't in line with your goals.
It's also crucial to realize that you're sure to make a mistake or two. When this occurs, people often forsake their ambitions. It's better to move on and make a better decision the next time you eat.
Make Mindful Eating a Habit
This tip is last on the list since practicing mindful eating might be challenging if you haven't previously mastered the other strategies. According to a wellness coach, Mindful eating teaches you to be more conscious of how much you're eating, how delicious the meal is, and whether or not you're genuinely hungry. Take the time to learn how to eat thoughtfully and use what you've learned.
The Bottom Line
It might be tough to eat wisely and remain healthy throughout the holiday, but it is not impossible. You'll be able to start the new year off strong by following some of the simple guidelines in this article to preserve your physical, mental health, and sustainable weight loss. Most importantly, keep in mind what the season is all about: enjoying and connecting with those you care about. It's simpler to focus less on the food when you concentrate on the pleasure.
Natalie's Fitness Elements Garage, your female personal trainer, is here to assist you in preserving your health and wellbeing during the holiday season. Natalie is a certified Master trainer and wellness coach who specializes in senior fitness and will assist you in finding a good health and lifestyle program in person or online.

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