Mental health and exercise share a strong correlation.
“Physical activity has immediate, long lasting and protective benefits for your brain, that can last for the rest of your life,” according to neural science professor, Wendy Suzuki in this entertaining TED talk below.
Long term mental health benefits of exercise
Besides providing immediate, short term benefits like a better mood and increased energy, exercise has also been shown to contribute to improved memory, attention span and resisting mental diseases like dementia and alzeihmer’s.
“Exercise is the most transformative thing that you can do for your brain today,” says Professor Suzuki.
How does exercise benefit mental health?
Exercise has immediate physiological effects in your brain.
When you exercise the levels of neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin and neuro-adrenaline increase, which in turn make you feel good and improve your mood. Results show that a single workout can improve your ability to shift and focus attention, and then maintain that for at least 2 hours. It has also led to improved reaction times.
Exercise changes the brains anatomy, physiology and function according to professor Suzuki. Exercise produces new brain cells in the hippocampus (the part of the brain that is responsible for memory of facts and events). This increases long-term memory and the actual size of the hippocampus
The hippocampus and pre-frontal cortex are the two areas that are most susceptible to neurodegenerative diseases and normal cognitive decline in aging. Increasing the size of these areas of the brain helps create resistance against mental diseases like alzheimer’s and dementia.
What types of exercise helps prevent mental illness?
While virtually all forms of exercise benefit our mental well-being, Professor Suzuki states that what is important is creating the discipline in our lives. In particular she says that we should:
- Exercise three to four times per week
- For a minimum of thirty minutes per session
- Focus on aerobic exercise that gets the heart rate up
These can be simple things like walking around the block, taking the stairs or running.
Exercises like yoga where you are focusing on your movements or incorporating mindfulness techniques could have further benefits for you as they help to calm your mind at the same time.
Exercise and mental illness prevention
Exercise really can play a major role in preventing mental illnesses in our lives. What exercise can you start today? Find a friend and go on a mental health journey together!
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