Exercise and Your Mental Health

Have you noticed that when you’re committed to a regular exercise routine, you seem to feel better overall? Why is it that when you haven’t been to the gym or out for a run in a while you feel a bit down? Is there a direct link between exercise and our attitude or your mental health as a whole? Read on to find out how exercise may be helping you live a healthy lifestyle in more ways than you think.

Exercise makes you happy

A few miles on the treadmill or following through on your personal training session will have a positive impact on your attitude and outlook throughout the week. Endorphins that are released during exercise give you the feeling of happiness or euphoria and have even been shown to be effective in relieving the symptoms of clinical depression. If you have to search for reasons to get your workout in, just remember that your body releases happy chemicals during exercise so you don’t have to leave your workout with the same attitude you came in with!

Exercise increases productivity

Do you often find yourself sitting behind your desk at work and drawing a blank when it comes to creativity or motivation to get your next task done? Exercise may be the key to getting the creative juices flowing again. Consider taking a lap around your work space or jogging over to a local juice bar to get some healthy hydration. Research shows that employees who take time to exercise on a regular basis are generally more productive and have more energy than their more sedentary peers.

Exercise keeps your brain sharp

Whether we want to admit it or not, as we get older, our brains naturally want to work less. With degenerative diseases like Alzheimer's looming, you may be willing to put forth effort in exercise if for no other reason than to keep your brain healthy and functioning as well as it can. While we know that a balanced diet and consistent exercise isn’t a “cure” for Alzheimer's, both have been proven to be effective in preventing premature brain decline that typically begins after age 45. Working out consistently between the ages of 25 and 45 helps to boost the production of the chemicals that support and prevent degeneration of the hippocampus which is the area responsible for memory and learning.

Exercise controls addiction

In a previous post, our President, Emmett Williams, talked about the role of Myzone in habit formation and touched on dopamine’s role in our lives. Released by the brain as a “reward chemical”, dopamine is the body’s response to an form of pleasure, whether that be food, alcohol, or exercise. Because exercise has been linked to addiction recovery, many turn to an exercise high to help them overcome and defeat their need for other dopamine-producing experiences that do not contribute to a healthy lifestyle.

We’ve heard many different stories from those in the Myzone community who have benefitted both physically and mentally from our heart rate monitoring system. Have you found that the Myzone heart rate tracker has taken both your workouts and your attitude to the next level of health? We would love to hear your stories! Share how Myzone has changed your life on social media using #myzone, #myzonemoves or #effortrewarded.