Anxiety and stress are two mental health components that can really bring a person down and leave them demotivated. This creates a mindset in an individual that can be very difficult to come back from.
However, exercise and physical activity can really help an individual to get rid of all the negative energy that builds up in their system and feel much better about themselves.
Some of the ways in which exercise can really help an individual’s mental health are through:
Lower Stress Inducing Hormones:
Every time you take stress or become anxious about something a hormone called cortisol is released in your body that not only makes a person feel bad and low but also settles down in the abdomen area causing fat to build in your abdomen. When you exercise such hormones are gradually decreased in your body.
Increase Happy Hormones:
Exercises will also help increase the level of “happy” hormones in your body such as endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine. These hormones, as the name suggests, are responsible for making a person happy. This is the best excuse for anyone who is trying to get rid of their anxiety and stress, to definitely take up exercise as an everyday hobby.
Sleeping Patterns:
Sometimes when a person is suffering from anxiety and stress then they are also having trouble falling asleep. When you exercise you tend to get tired and fatigued, and this will further help you fall deeper into sleep.
Increase Self Esteem:
One way a person can know for sure that they are getting rid of stress and anxiety is that they begin to feel good about themselves. When you start exercising you feel exactly that way as you feel fresh and rejuvenated you will want to dress up more and go out more as well.
Something to look forward to:
Following a proper routine can help a person get out of bed and generally have something to look forward to. When you begin swimming or yoga classes that feeling of belonging will eventually drag you every morning out of your bed. Activities related to exercises such as buying active wear and sportswear can also be fun for many people.
Some of the exercises that Beat Anxiety and Stress
1. Yoga
Yoga is an excellent form of exercise because not only does it work towards bettering an individual’s physical health but also mental health through a series of breathing and stretching exercises.
The stretching exercises help an individual work on their postures and become more flexible as you train your muscles to stretch to great lengths.
But the most important part of yoga is that it helps you do breathing exercises, these breathing exercises will help you relax and calm down.
Yoga postures also demand a lot of concentration and focus from an individual which is an excellent form of mental activity and mental exercises.
Such exercises that are demanding a person’s mental presence are excellent for those who suffer from stress and anxiety.
2. Swimming
Again swimming is an excellent activity to take on if you are a person who is suffering from stress and anxiety because swimming is an activity that is mostly done outdoors in the fresh air.
Also, swimming allows a person to wash themselves up in cold refreshing water that rejuvenates a person’s overall mood and health.
Being able to see oneself improving as they can make new laps day by day itself is such a huge feeling of achievement that a person is bound to feel better about themselves.
3. Boxing
Exercising already is an activity that many therapists and experts encourage individuals to do and a sport like boxing is considered to be extremely helpful for those who are suffering from anxiety.
The reason for this is that the amount of energy that it requires to deliver a proper punch will help you channel all your negative energy and release it in a safe and controlled environment.
Boxing also helps a person stay alert and focused on what they are doing because a boxer cannot afford to lose concentration for even a minute or else they could get hurt really badly.
This becomes a great distraction for people who are suffering from mental instability because this way they don’t have to think about anything else other than what they are doing at that point.
4. Running
Running again allows you and gives you an excuse to go outdoors and breathe fresh air. More than that running helps circulate blood all around your body that refreshes your muscles and stretches them.
Your stamina also increases and your lungs also tend to function more efficiently circulating oxygen more competently around your body and especially the brain.
This rejuvenation of your body will help you feel much better about yourself and help you beat any kind of anxiety or stress you may be facing.
5. Aerobics/Pilates
Aerobics or Pilates again is a very happening sport to indulge oneself in. Such exercises are also excellent for mental health because they are usually done in a form of a group.
The feeling of belonging in a group on its own is a healthy feeling that prevents a person from feeling alone. These groups of people will stay with you, strive to be fit with you, and aspire to be healthy as well.
So we seriously suggest that you take up an activity such as aerobics and pilates that will help bring out the best in you to beat anxiety and stress.
