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Home » How to lose weight safely » Work out, be happy – The Patriot Ledger

Many people exercise to look and feel better. Some want to lose weight or strengthen their muscles. Others exercise to improve their stamina.

But benefits of exercise arent just physical, theyre mental as well. Exercise not only takes care of your body, it takes care of your brain.

A 2018 study of 1.2 million people in the United States, published in "The Lancet: Psychiatry," found that people who exercise report having 1.5 fewer days of poor mental health a month, compared to people who do not exercise. On average, survey participants reported 3.4 days of poor mental health a month.

Fighting depression

Depression, which is the leading cause of disability worldwide, is just one area of mental health where exercise can help. The human toll of depression is, of course, tragic, but depression also costs employers an estimated $44 billion each year in lost productivity, according to the Center for Workplace Mental Health.

Exercise can help. Even those who are genetically disposed toward developing depression can benefit, according to new research published in "Depression & Anxiety."

Researchers found that, Higher levels of physical activity were associated with reduced odds of incident depression across all levels of genetic vulnerability, even among individuals at highest polygenic risk.

In our recent column on fitness and productivity, we quoted Harvard Health and wrote that, Serotonins and endorphins are two neurotransmitters that are affected by exercise. Exercise releases serotonin from the brain, which can result in feeling better and an improved state of mind, making stress easier to handle.

We also noted that sweating releases endorphins, which help relax the mind, and that exercise also reduces levels of cortisol, which is the bodys stress hormone.

Exercise is a natural high. As the Mayo Clinic noted, the endorphins released include endogenous cannabinoids, which are natural cannabis-like brain chemicals that can enhance your sense of well-being.

In addition, Kelly McGonigal, author of "The Joy of Movement: How Exercise Helps Us Find Happiness, Hope, Connection and Courage," wrote that exercise causes muscles to release lactate, which travels through the bloodstream to the brain, where it alters the persons neurochemistry, reducing anxiety and helping to prevent depression.

Her research finds that exercise is good for the brain, making you braver, more sensitive to joy, and more amenable to building trust and belonging with others.

Why exercise helps

Experts say that one reason exercise helps is that it takes your mind off of whats bothering you. When you exercise, you will put aside the negative thoughts that feed depression and anxiety. Youll also gain confidence as you meet your goals, and youll feel better about yourself and your appearance.

Exercise also provides social interaction, especially if you take group classes. McGonigal claims that moving with others in a group exercise class is one of the most powerful ways to experience joy.

Those who have serious mental illnesses are at a high risk of chronic diseases, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease, because they typically have a sedentary lifestyle and have to deal with side effects from medication. Patients with schizophrenia, for example, typically experience significant weight gain resulting from anti-psychotic drugs.

Exercise therapy is often used by health-care professionals as part of the treatment for those with a variety of mental illnesses and related disorders, ranging from alcohol abuse to eating disorders. And, unlike treatment with drugs, exercises does not have negative side effects.

According to The Primary Care Companion to the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, health benefits from regular exercise that should be emphasized and reinforced by every mental health professional to their patients include improved sleep, increased interest in sex, better endurance, stress relief, improvement in mood, increased energy and stamina, reduced cholesterol and improved cardiovascular fitness, weight reduction and increased mental alertness.

Even if you are mentally healthy, of course, these benefits are likely to be attractive to you. Whatever your mental state, exercise can help you be healthier and happier.

Rita Matraia is the owner of The Core Connection, a boutique fitness studio in Northborough. She is a Certified Stott Pilates Instructor, a Certified Restorative Exercise Specialist, a Certified Postpartum Corrective Exercise Specialist and a Healthy Foot Practitioner through the Nutritious Movement Center. She can be reached at rita@thecoreconnection.com.

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Work out, be happy - The Patriot Ledger

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Home » How to lose weight safely » Work out, be happy – The Patriot Ledger