Exercise for improved mental health

The health crisis that the world has been facing over the past several months has had a major effect on just about every aspect of people’s lives. Even for those lucky enough not to have been directly touched by the virus, the lives they are living are nevertheless quite different from what they were just weeks ago.

Most of the changes and impact that coronavirus has brought are beyond individual control. But what is not beyond their control, and what each person should address, is how they are handling and reacting to how this pandemic has affected them individually.

That’s easy to say but not always easy to achieve. The majority, for example, are probably experiencing fairly high levels of anxiety and depression even if they are not totally aware of such feelings or how those feelings are affecting their lives. Today’s modern world has increasingly come with fairly high levels of anxiety. But the recent health crisis has significantly increased personal worries and challenges, with the result that mental health may be a great deal more fragile than it once was.

There is, of course, no way to make the outside world and its pressures actually disappear. It doesn’t stop some people from turning to drugs and alcohol as a means of ignoring reality. Here are some suggested healthier actions for people to take instead.

One of the simplest, yet very effective, ways to combat anxiety and depression is to become more physically active. A number of studies have found that exercise provides a wide variety of mental health benefits. Exercise can take your mind off your current worries, as well as help your body release natural chemicals, those feel-good endorphins, that enhance your sense of well-being.

Getting more exercise in your life doesn’t have to mean a formal exercise program or working out with a personal trainer, although those are approaches that work for many people.

Any physical activity that works your muscles and requires energy is going to help improve your mental health. It can be as simple as a daily walk in the sunshine, getting out in the garden or even doing housework.

The goal is to be more physically active in ways that help focus your attention on things besides a cycle of negative thoughts that feed those feelings of depression and anxiety.

Counseling Corner is provided by the American Counseling Association. Send comments and questions to [email protected] or visit the ACA website at http://www.counseling.org.