Benefits of exercise on mental health!

Benefits of exercise on mental health!

The benefits of exercise on mental health are widely published and proven. I have suffered with low mood in the past and still today have my ups and downs, and without failure every single time the one thing that guarantees an endorphin release and has worked and still works for me today is exercise. Whether this be a walk, a run or a gym workout, getting some exercise in will help improve your mood.

I have used exercise as a goal to get fitter when I used to play football, I used it as a social activity when I would workout with friends and spend a few hours in the gym (back when I had the time). I have also used it as a distraction technique, when I was at a very low point in my life I would try exercise as much as I would allow myself, there were sometimes I would start a workout and have to leave only a few minutes in as the overwhelming feeling of me trying to convince myself I was ok was just too much. One thing I did learn from all of these is that more often than not (90% of the time) once I had finished my exercise I did have a ‘better feeling of self value’, sometimes more than others but every time I finished I did feel much better.

So if you are feeling tired, stressed, down, overwhelmed, anxious or anything negative, I can’t stress enough just getting out and doing something will make you feel better and allow you to become more productive.

Some of the well documented benefits are:

- Reduced stress levels

- Increased energy levels

- Increase mood

- Increased self-esteem

- Improved sleep

- Increased confidence

- Boosts brain power

- Reduced anxiety

- Reduced depression

If you struggle with gyms and working out in environments you feel judged, you should take advantage of the 7 day free trial we have at FBC Harrogate, come down and train with the amazing non-judgmental environment we have down here.