Most people think of the physical benefits of exercise but there are many other benefits as well. Students tell me they are there for strength, mobility, balance and some have specific goals such as getting in shape for a family wedding or improving their golf game.
There are also mental and emotional benefits. One student came after her son said it would help her depression. She now beams from ear to ear as she flies into class, has made friends who she now also plays pickle ball with (another new pursuit), and she has lost weight to boot.
Exercise helps relieve stress. For some of us, that would look like a vigorous workout including lots of sweating. At the other end of the spectrum would be practicing yoga for stress relief. Scientifically, exercise increases levels of norepinephrine, which helps the brain deal with stress more effectively. There is increased blood flow to the brain and endorphins are released during exercise. These hormones make us feel happy combating symptoms of anxiety and depression. It is believed that one of the mechanisms of fatigue in exercise is the increase in tryptophan levels in the brain. Tryptophan is an amino acid and it gets converted to serotonin. Serotonin is the “happy chemical.” When serotonin levels rise, you feel happy and relaxed. For only 10-15 minutes of exercise, anxiety is reduced, and usually for up to 6 hours. In the case of depression, it seems that both cardio and strength training have equal effects.
If you were to hook up the brain to an EEG machine and measure electromagnetic waves, you’d notice four types of waves: alpha, beta, gamma and delta. The beta waves are what you experience when you’re awake and concentrating. The gamma and delta waves predominate in deep sleep. It’s the alpha waves that are less present in the person with anxiety. Alpha waves signal relaxation, and they’re most evident when a person is relaxing, daydreaming, or in that period when lying in bed and you’re not quite asleep, but not quite awake. Exercise helps increase alpha wave activity and calms you down.
Physical activity can help improve your mood. It can also improve brain functioning by increasing blood flow to the brain which can improve concentration and memory. Daily physical activity can lower the risk of dementia by 20 to 30 per cent.
Benefits spill over into other areas of our life; productivity and creativity is boosted.
Being fit is also a self-esteem boost. I think you’d agree that self-esteem and confidence play a part in mental health. Self-efficacy is an individual’s belief in their innate ability to achieve goals. Self-efficacy affects every area of human endeavour. By determining the beliefs a person holds regarding their power to affect situations, it strongly influences both the power a person actually has to face challenges competently and the choices a person is most likely to make. These effects are particularly apparent, and compelling, with regard to behaviours affecting health. Self-efficacy means that you feel like you’re in control. When you have anxiety or depression, it feels like things are happening to you. You feel helpless, out of control. But then you start exercising, and you quickly realize that if you exercise you can make yourself feel better, which brings back a sense of control to your life. You start to understand that you can control how you feel. You can control when, where, and how intensely you exercise. Exercise doesn’t just “happen” to you. You make it happen.
Other side effects of exercise include better sleep, a strengthened immune system and increased energy. All of this in as little as three to four 45 to 60 minute sessions a week.
If you’re interested in training with me, check the teaching calendar on the website or contact me directly.
Always consult with your primary health care provider before starting a new exercise regimen.