How does any type of physical activity benefit the mind?
If you’ve ever experienced a runner’s high, the restorative effect of a long afternoon walk, or a heart-pumping aerobic class, you know how fantastic movement and exercise feel. But what explains these findings, and how does any type of exercise benefit the mind?
The subconscious signals from the body not only serve as the foundation for the self, but also as a type of undertone to our consciousness that serves as a framework for everything else that occurs. They have the ability to make us feel joyful, sad, optimistic, or tense for reasons we can’t exactly pinpoint.
In other words, while we may not realise it, our emotions and sentiments are heavily influenced by how our bodies function, and here is where movement comes in.
If our body communicates to our brain that we are sedentary or weak, we may experience despair, worry, uneasiness, or doubt. Moving and growing strength, on the other hand, may cause good changes in our body systems that, when sent to the brain, offer us a subtle sensation of enjoyment, confidence, and optimism.
How movement helps our minds
But before that, the downside: sitting may be the new ailment of a sedentary lifestyle, and it is damaging more than just our physical health. When we don’t move, it appears that our mental health suffers as well. Sedentary habits, for example, increase the risk of anxiety and depression, as well as lower self-esteem. Learn how to overcome fear in 3 steps if this is something that you are dealing with.
Our large brains developed in part to help us move. For our forefathers, mobility meant being able to flee danger and sprint for food and reward. We did learn to think ahead, after all. One evolutionary anthropologist believes that this is why we were able to plan our moves back when we were still hanging out of tree branches.
As a result, when our brain has no movement to supervise, we suffer. In reality, when we are less active, our brains diminish capacity by eliminating cells from places such as the hippocampus.
In the meantime, the mind benefits of physical activity have been universally acknowledged. Resistance training, for instance, may enhance our self-esteem and self-worth. It helps by lowering despair and anxiety, and makes us feel more capable of coping with emotional issues.
In other words, the power in our musko-skeletal system, which is conveyed to our brains subconsciously, can transform into a sensation of strength and power. Somehow that relates with a general much better confidence in the world.
Having the physical ability to pull ourselves out of sticky circumstances makes a great difference in how cognitively strong and emotionally stable we feel as we struggle through everyday life.
Similarly, walking or running for a long time can make us feel like we’re moving forward in life. Walking, on the other hand, can make us feel like we’re moving away from our past.
Dancing is another excellent way to move
Dance therapy can assist young girls with anxiety by enhancing their mental health, lowering stress hormones, and raising feel-good serotonin levels via dopamine release. Dancing also helps us become extra conscious of our own feelings.
Is there a mind-body link here?
Discovering fresh and innovative ways of moving our bodies may help us break out of strict emotional patterns. That could lead the discovery of new ways of thinking, feeling, and responding. In particular, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) appears to be helped by exercise.
According to research, resistance training and yoga may both help with PTSD symptoms.
Including a physical component in the therapy improves its effectiveness. This has been proven for veterans and others with mental disorders.
The more regular exercise you engage in, the greater control you’ll feel over your life. It is simple really: the more you exercise, the more it benefits the mind, body and spirit. Some studies even suggest that moving might aid in the resolution of interpersonal disagreements.
The fact is that the brain, body, and consciousness are all part of the same amazing system, and it all performs better when it’s moving.
How to add more movement to your life
Fortunately, because our bodies are built to move, we don’t require much instruction on how to become more active. Note that different concepts for different types of movement provide varied mental and cognitive advantages.
To tap into feelings of connection with people, try synchronised movements like tai chi and group exercise in addition to weight training, walking, and jogging. Moving to music can also help us connect by allowing us to lose ourselves in the beat and detach from our thoughts.
We may also try “functional movements,” which are activities like leaping and crawling that replicate how we would move if we were trying to survive in the wild. Obstacle course racing or swimming in the natural environment may be an entertaining way to overcome physical hurdles.
It’s not necessary to go to the gym every day to get more exercise (or at all). It’s more about adding activity into our regular routines.
Getting up and moving every half hour if your job is sedentary could be a good idea. Consider maybe doing some gardening or simply going for a stroll.
Or just perform a few minutes of balancing on one leg as a “mobility treat.” It may sound ridiculous, but what can’t be wose than sitting on a chair for half a day?
If you’ve read everything there is to know about how exercise benefit the mind, how about having a look at why stretching is not what you think.
Conclusion
With all of these advantages in mind, we as a community might do more to recognise the way phyisical activity benefit the mind.
That may include prioritising leisure and PE programmes, which are increasingly being curtailed in schools. The elderly want stimulus and exercise sessions tailored to their needs, not a culture that accepts the inevitability of old age fragility. Have a read about how meditation also benefits the brain.
More therapists should include movement and body-based exercises into their treatments.
Perhaps then, many of us will grow up to be grownups who move simply because it feels good for our bodies to perform what they’re supposed to do, rather than to burn calories or get our steps in. Also, why not explore other alternative wellness avenues such as mantra meditation and its benefits as well as practicing affirmations.