Exercising My Way to Better Mental Health

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Mental Health

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March 20, 2023

Most people, if not all, will experience an episode of anxiety and/or depression in their lifetime, which may be short lived or long term.

I’ve had bouts of anxiety throughout my life with varying degrees of severity. There’s been times I’ve had low level anxiety and others with a full-blown panic disorder making it hard for me to leave my house.

I’ve had great therapists help me through these times and I’ve learned many coping strategies that I keep in my mental health tool kit. The tool that has consistently gotten me through the worst of times is exercise.

I’m not suggesting it’s a cure all or the solution for everyone, but it helped me get through tough times and helped me focus on recovery, now it’s a habit that keeps me level.

Here are some of the reasons exercise has helped me:

It releases endorphins which helped reduce my stress levels and elevated my mood.
It helped to reduce the physical symptoms of anxiety such as increased heart rate, and difficulty breathing by releasing stress in a positive way.
It gave me something to focus on other than my worries and provided a distraction from negative thoughts.
It reduced my cortisol levels, the hormone responsible for stress, which helped reduce feelings of anxiousness.
It improved my self-esteem and confidence and helped me to feel better about myself.
It made me feel more capable and in control of my life.
It helped create a sense of accomplishment and gave me a sense of purpose.
I rarely exercised alone, so it helped me connect with others.

When someone asks me what my motivation is to exercise regularly and before I even touch on any other extraordinary benefits, my number one reason is for my mental health. For me, all other benefits are a bonus.

Maybe it seems daunting to you right now to immediately join a gym or fitness group, but you can still start, perhaps with a conversation or a walk with a friend. Surround yourself with support and build from there.

Fitness Revolution in Bassendean specialises in the over 40’s in a fun and safe environment. Learn more about our personal and group training.

Founder/Director Angela Gawthorne