Mental wellness is essential no matter your age. It’s even more critical as you age. After all, good mental health is key to staying active and productive into older adulthood. But how can you stay mentally well if you aren’t physically active? Physical inactivity isn’t the only risk factor for poor mental health. The type of activities that you participate in throughout your life—including childhood and adolescence—are just as important as the amount of time spent doing them. That means that spending time reading books, playing games with friends, or building something from wood or Lego with your siblings are all great ways to stay mentally healthy throughout your life.
Exercise has also been linked to improved mental health and a longer and healthier lifespan. However, it's not enough to go for a walk or run now and then to reap these benefits--you have to do it consistently over time to see results.
What Does Research Say About the Benefits of Exercise?
Studies have found that physical activity can improve mental health in several ways. For starters, exercise has been linked to improved mood and better self-esteem, confidence, and intimacy. Regular exercise has been linked to a decrease in depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms. Another way that exercise has been proven to improve mental health is by improving cognitive function.
Exercise regularly has been shown to improve brain functions such as problem-solving skills, memory, and attention; this makes it easier to be more successful in school and work. This research also suggests that exercise can help prevent cognitive decline and possibly even increase your lifespan!
Regular exercise can be an essential part of many people’s mental health strategies. Physical activity has been linked to improved mood and better feelings of self-esteem, confidence, and intimacy. In addition, exercise has been shown to decrease symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Which Kinds of Exercise Are Good for Mental Health?
The type of activity you participate in throughout your life—including childhood and adolescence—is just as important as the amount of time spent doing it. This is because the “patterns of daily activity” we engage in as children tend to be carried on into adulthood.
Many experts recommend that children and teens participate in at least an hour of daily physical activity. This can be anything from active play to sports to hiking or swimming. As you get older, the World Health Organization recommends that you get at least 2 1/2 hours of physical activity per week. If you’re trying to improve your mental health and wellness, you may even want to add 5 1/2 hours of physical activity per week.
Is It OK to Only Focus on Cardio When it Comes To Mental Health?
While cardio exercise is important for improving your overall heart health and lowering your risk of developing certain medical conditions and diseases, there are many benefits to also focusing on strength training. Strength training has been proven to improve mental health. It can decrease symptoms of depression and anxiety, improve your resilience and help you cope with stress better.
Strength training can also help you maintain your cognitive function, which can prevent cognitive decline and maintain your brain health as you get older.
Some important things to keep in mind when it comes to strength training include: strength training builds lean muscle, which improves how your body processes oxygen and becomes more resilient in the face of life’s inevitable challenges.
Conclusion
Physical activity is important for your health and can help you feel better. However, it’s important to note that not all exercise is the same. Both the amount of time you spend doing activity, as well as the type of activity you engage in, are important. While cardio exercise is excellent for lowering your risk of developing heart disease and diabetes, it’s important to note that it’s not the only type of exercise that can help you improve your mental health.
Strength training, yoga, and walking are some examples of activities that can also be beneficial to your mental wellness. When trying to improve your mental health, it’s important to remember that you don’t have to do everything in one day. Instead, try taking a break every once in a while to relax and refocus on yourself.