Most people know that exercise can benefit your physical health by helping you burn fat, build muscle and stay active. Did you know that exercise can also improve your mental health? Read on to learn how exercise can benefit your mind in addition to your body and how Sports and Fitness Exchange in Peoria, Arizona, can help you meet your fitness goals while contributing to positive mental health changes.
How Does Exercise Benefit Mental Health?
According to Paul Reed MD, Rear Admiral for the U.S. Public Health Service and Director of the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, half of those in the United States will be diagnosed with a mental health condition over the course of their lifetime—the most common being anxiety and depression. While exercise is not a substitute for mental health treatment, symptoms of both conditions are known to improve with physical activity. Adults are not the only ones seeing this benefit- it is also true for kids! In addition, kids who regularly participate in sports gain confidence, self-esteem and resilience along with a lower risk of suicidal tendencies and better mental health as adults.
An article published in The Primary Care Companion to the Journal of Clinical Psychology explains why this occurs. Exercise is thought to increase blood flow to the brain, allowing a section known as the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis to communicate with regions of the brain that control mood, motivation, memory formation and fear. These interactions result in an improvement in mood, self-esteem and cognitive ability in addition to reducing anxiety and depression. Exercise can also result in related benefits such as better sleep, decreased stress and increased libido.
How Can Sports and Fitness Exchange Help Me?
Current activity guidelines released by the U.S. government recommend that adults perform 150 minutes of moderate activity per week, plus two days per week of strength training. Along with the mental health benefits we’ve already mentioned, this level of activity allows adults to feel healthier and reduce their chances of developing a chronic illness such as heart disease, diabetes or cancer. The benefits increase with the amount of time spent exercising! While Dr. Reed and the U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines explain that household chores, yard work and dancing all count as moderate activity, many people also enjoy traditional exercise activities like jogging, biking, rowing and weightlifting. This is where Sports and Fitness Exchange comes in! We offer name-brand treadmills, ellipticals, exercise bikes and home gyms at 50-70% off retail prices, so you can get working towards improved physical and mental health in the comfort of your own home.
Shop online or stop by our Peoria, Arizona, superstore today! We offer nationwide shipping, customer pick-up, and delivery with assembly to locations within 50 miles of our store.
