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How Exercise Benefits Mental HealthBrain health through physical exercise -
That's minutes of moderate intensity exercise a week. Standard recommendations advise half an hour of moderate physical activity most days of the week, or minutes a week. If that seems daunting, start with a few minutes a day, and increase the amount you exercise by five or 10 minutes every week until you reach your goal.
If you don't want to walk, consider other moderate-intensity exercises, such as swimming, stair climbing, tennis, squash, or dancing. Don't forget that household activities can count as well, such as intense floor mopping, raking leaves, or anything that gets your heart pumping so much that you break out in a light sweat.
Whatever exercise and motivators you choose, commit to establishing exercise as a habit, almost like taking a prescription medication. After all, they say that exercise is medicine, and that can go on the top of anyone's list of reasons to work out.
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Stay on top of latest health news from Harvard Medical School. Recent Blog Articles. Flowers, chocolates, organ donation — are you in? What is a tongue-tie? Divide your exercise into shorter, more frequent chunks of time if that helps, or try exercising in water to reduce joint or muscle discomfort.
Many of us find it hard enough to motivate ourselves to exercise at the best of times. But when you feel depressed, anxious, stressed or have another mental health problem, it can seem doubly difficult. This is especially true of depression and anxiety, which can leave you feeling trapped in a catch situation.
Start small. Better to set achievable goals and build up from there. Schedule workouts when your energy is highest. Perhaps you have most energy first thing in the morning before work or school or at lunchtime before the mid-afternoon lull hits? Or maybe you do better exercising for longer at the weekends.
If depression or anxiety has you feeling tired and unmotivated all day long, try dancing to some music or simply going for a walk. Even a short, minute walk can help clear your mind, improve your mood, and boost your energy level.
Focus on activities you enjoy. Any activity that gets you moving counts. That could include throwing a Frisbee with a dog or friend, walking laps of a mall window shopping, or cycling to the grocery store.
If you've never exercised before or don't know what you might enjoy, try a few different things. Activities such as gardening or tackling a home improvement project can be great ways to start moving more when you have a mood disorder—as well as helping you become more active, they can also leave you with a sense of purpose and accomplishment.
Be comfortable. Wear clothing that's comfortable and choose a setting that you find calming or energizing. That may be a quiet corner of your home, a scenic path, or your favorite city park. Reward yourself. Part of the reward of completing an activity is how much better you'll feel afterwards, but it always helps your motivation to promise yourself an extra treat for exercising.
Reward yourself with a hot bubble bath after a workout, a delicious smoothie, or with an extra episode of your favorite TV show, for example. Make exercise a social activity. Exercising with a friend or loved one, or even your kids, will not only make exercising more fun and enjoyable, it can also help motivate you to stick to a workout routine.
You'll also feel better than if you were exercising alone. In fact, when you're suffering from a mood disorder such as depression, the companionship can be just as important as the exercise. Think about physical activity as a lifestyle rather than just a single task to check off your to-do list.
Look at your daily routine and consider ways to sneak in activity here, there, and everywhere. Move in and around your home. Clean the house, wash the car, tend to the yard and garden, mow the lawn with a push mower, sweep the sidewalk or patio with a broom. Sneak activity in at work or on the go.
Bike or walk to an appointment rather than drive, use stairs instead of elevators, briskly walk to the bus stop then get off one stop early, park at the back of the lot and walk into the store or office, or take a vigorous walk during your coffee break.
Get active with the family. Get creative with exercise ideas. Pick fruit at an orchard, boogie to music, go to the beach or take a hike, gently stretch while watching television, organize an office bowling team, take a class in martial arts, dance, or yoga.
You don't have to spend hours in a gym or force yourself into long, monotonous workouts to experience the many benefits of exercise. These tips can help you find activities you enjoy and start to feel better, look better, and get more out of life. Tips for building a fitness plan, and finding the best exercises for you.
Chair exercises and fitness tips for people with injuries or disabilities. Even when your schedule changes, you can stay physically fit.
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About Us Meet Our Team Our Story Jeanne Segal, Ph. In many ways, exercise is like a supercharged k for your brain — and it's even better, because it's free. Whenever I explain the brain-changing benefits of exercise to people, the response I usually get is: "Okay, this is all very interesting.
But just tell me the minimum amount of exercise I need to get these effects. I try to do at least three to four minute workout sessions a week. You'll also get the most benefits out of aerobic exercise, which increases the heart rate and pumps more oxygen into the brain.
If 90 to minutes per week sounds daunting, start with a few minutes a day, and increase the amount you exercise by five or 10 minutes every week until you reach your goal.
And don't forget that household activities — intense mopping, raking leaves, vacuuming, running up and down the stairs — count, too. Wendy Suzuki , PhD, is a neuroscientist and professor of Neural Science and Psychology in the Center for Neural Science at New York University. She is also the author of "Good Anxiety: Harnessing the Power of the Most Misunderstood Emotion.
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