6 Ways Exercising Helps Your Mental Health

Of course you know that exercise is good for your body, but did you know it’s also good for your mind? Read on for six ways exercise benefits your brain.

1. Exercise cranks up creativity.

Thinking outside the box in the workplace may be as easy as going outside your cubicle. Research suggests that regular exercise could help creative thinking. So if you’ve been stuck on a task for a while, taking a stroll during your lunch break may be just the thing to get you past the block.

2. Exercise increases self-esteem.

Talk about a runner’s high! Research has shown a connection between exercise and self-esteem. Exercising may make you feel more positive about your body and your abilities, which then may make you feel more positive about yourself overall.

For an added psychosocial boost, try exercising outdoors. Some studies have shown that working out in outdoor environments lifts self-esteem more than if you were hoofing it on the elliptical indoors.

3. Exercise lessens anxiety.

A 2018 review article found that physical activity can help relieve symptoms of anxiety. Whether it’s hitting the free weights or getting your om on, releasing tension in your muscles can trail back all the way to your head.

4. Exercise improves memory.

Having trouble remembering names or appointments? Time to lace up the sneakers. In a study published in Physiology and Behavior, subjects performed significantly better in a memory task after strenuous exercise than those who rested. Staying active is also a huge help for age-related mind decay. Research published in Neurology indicates that exercise helps preserve cognitive function as you get older. So while picking up the crossword or a new language definitely helps in memory decline, you may also want to pick up a pair of dumbbells while you’re at it.

5. Exercise curbs cravings and addiction.

We all know that runner’s high is caused by the release of dopamine into the body—and this is a good thing, especially when we have other not-so-healthy vices that tap into the pleasure chemical, such as alcohol, drugs, sex and food. Research in Addiction with habitual cigarette smokers showed that short amounts of physical activity momentarily broke their cravings. If you’re trying to break a bad habit, get out and move a little until the moment has passed.

6. Exercise pumps up productivity.

Managers rejoice! Cubicle workers who were also regular exercisers reported feeling more productive and energized during their workdays compared to their chair-bound colleagues, according to a study in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. So the next time your boss gives you grief about your midday yoga session, just let her know it’s all part of the plan to help you meet deadlines.