Mental Health and Exercise

Being Healthy does not mean simply being in good physical shape or not having any disease, that does not fully define the true definition of HEALTH, what defines Health – it is a state of complete physical well-being, mental and social well-being and not simply the absence of disease or infirmity (WHO). According to the true definition of health, a person with a mental illness, but who is otherwise physically fit, is considered unhealthy.

Mental health includes our emotional, psychological and social well-being. It is associated with our thinking, our feelings and our actions. Mental health defines how a person handles stress by making healthy decisions or choices. Mental health is important in all aspects and at all stages of life.

Mental health is important to our overall health, as mental illnesses even increase the risk of many kinds of physical health problems like diabetes, heart disease and stroke. Mental health is among the most common health conditions currently present in our society, which is caused by many factors that are prevalent in our society. (CDC Reference)

Mental illnesses can impact our lives in a huge way. Mental illnesses include depression, dementia, schizophrenia, OCD, etc., which can cause marked changes in personality, eating or sleeping patterns, unusual thoughts, excessive anxiety, prolonged sadness, depression, substance abuse, extreme mood swings, excessive anger, hostility, or violent behavior . We must point out that some changes are observed in the day to day with the usual routines that cannot be classified as mental illness.

Mental illnesses have a wide variety of causes, although mental illnesses are also believed to be hereditary, but environmental factors play an important role in the current era (some of them, such as excessive use of mobile phones by children , drug abuse, unemployment, the economy). status, financial problems, poor nutrition, sedative lifestyle, social neglect, psychological trauma, social or cultural expectations, etc.), these are some of the common causes of mental illness.

We must understand that we can prevent mental illness by changing our lifestyle, our way of thinking and our way of living. One of them is daily exercise. We have not adequately understood the importance of exercise in our lives. Aerobic exercises such as jogging, normal walking, bicycling have been shown to reduce anxiety and depression. It is proposed that these improvements in mood are caused by exercise-induced increased blood flow to the brain and by an influence on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and thus physiological reactivity. to stress.

This physiological influence is likely mediated by the HPA axis’s communication with various brain regions, including the limbic system, which controls motivation and mood; the amygdala, which generates fear in response to stress; and the hippocampus, which plays an important role in memory formation, as well as mood and motivation.

Exercise improves mental health by reducing anxiety, negative thoughts, and depression by improving self-esteem and cognitive function. 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise is enough to reap health benefits. We can take 30 minutes out of our busy schedule for this very important job. Exercise improves our sleep, improves mood and improves endurance, weight reduction, lowers cholesterol and improves our cardiovascular fitness. The study even suggests that exercise helps improve memory by working on Hippocampus, so even young adults can improve their educational work.

We’ve lost social connections today, we’re busy doing work, etc., but it’s even better if you can be active outdoors. Research shows that being in nature can make us feel happier, feel like our lives are more worthwhile, and reduce our levels of depression and anxiety. Taking a few minutes out of our schedule can benefit us in all aspects of our lives. (Ref. APA, WebMD, MHF).

Improved self-esteem is a key psychological benefit of regular physical activity. When you exercise, your body releases chemicals called endorphins. These endorphins interact with receptors in the brain that reduce the perception of pain. Endorphins also trigger a positive feeling in the body, and can even act as pain relievers (pain relievers). Additional benefits include, it lowers blood pressure, reduces body fat, strengthens the heart and bones, etc.

Calmness is the best medicine for our heart and 30 minutes of exercise a day can impact our lives in the best way.

(The author is a fifth-year medical student. Email- [email protected])