Exercise’s Natural Effects on Mental Health!
“Willpower is like a muscle. The more you train it the stronger it gets. Success doesn’t start in the gym. It starts in your mind. It’s a slow process, but quitting doesn’t speed it up.” Lauren Gleisberg
As James Brown wisely sang and shouted for us to do, “GET UP OFFA THAT THING! SHAKE IT ‘TIL YOU FEEL BETTER!” He must have known something important about exercise and its natural effects to improve mental health!
We’ve all had ‘em… those days where you don’t want to get out of bed, where curling back up underneath the covers seems like a more sane option than facing the world. Maybe it’s a work meeting you’ve been dreading all week, a homework assignment that’s fast coming due, or even the notion of having to go grocery shopping. You’re just so tired… whatever the “cause,” our mental health can keep us from being the bright-eyed and bushy-tailed little eager beavers we’re supposed to be. If you suffer from depression or anxiety, these “dark days” can become the standard. Of course, that’s no good. There’s stuff you gotta do!
The real rub is that you know that’s true… intellectually. You’ve told yourself that hundreds, even thousands of times. We’re preaching to the choir on that. So, how do we beat that never-ending exhaustion, throw off the blankets, and tackle the world? We get movin’.
No matter our mental health situation, exercise helps without exception. There is such a thing as “too much” exercise, but that's not the issue if you’re anything like me. Our brains are wired to respond to the movement of our bodies by releasing endorphins, and we need those. Seriously. Endorphins are necessary to stabilize our mood, and if we get enough of ‘em, some pretty cool stuff happens. The specific type of endorphins that exercise helps release in our brains are called “endocannabinoids,” as the name might imply; their purpose is to get you high. When we get enough of them, our brains kick into overdrive; exercise helps our neurons grow, meaning better memory, spatial awareness, and processing speed… we think better when we get our blood pumping and oxygenated. Not only that, endocannabinoids make us WANT stuff. The parts of our brain that control our motivation light up when we get enough exercise.
Now, imagine what you could do with a power-charged brain, better memory, and a renewed sense of purpose. Just imagine! Exercise helps kickstart your limbic system; you may have heard of the “runner’s high,” a feeling of intense bliss and increased energy that happens to joggers and marathon runners. Turns out, any exercise can have that effect, though aerobic stuff (rhythmic exercise that gets you breathing harder, like climbing stairs, cycling, running, and swimming) tends to get there quicker. It’s great for the brain's mood centers and easier than you may think.
If you set a goal of 30 minutes every day and take a walk, you’ll start seeing changes. It may take a few days, but try it for a couple of weeks. Grab some headphones, pick a podcast (we recommend comedy podcasts because laughter helps get more endorphins flowing, too), or some upbeat music, and walk wherever you can, in your apartment, around the block, in circles in the yard. If you’re unable to walk, you can dance in place. Anything that keeps you consistently moving for a span of time. It doesn’t have to be fast; you don’t have to break a sweat or lose your breath (though if you feel up to it, don’t let us stop you), move.
So, get up and move around for a while! Make your goal small, and start now if you can. Be consistent with your goal, and do as much as you can. Your brain may take a while to get used to the increased endorphins, but when it does, look out world!
Other resources:
Free exercise workout music (YouTube has tons of free workout music. Check out what you like and get movin’!)
NHS (National Health Services-UK)-Exercise info & video workouts
"It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves."
(Sir Edmund Hillary; first to reach top of Mt. Everest with fellow mountaineer climber, Tenzing Norgay)
“If you don’t find the time, if you don’t do the work, you don’t get the results.” – Arnold Schwarzenegger
“You miss one hundred percent of the shots you don’t take.” – Wayne Gretzky
“Push harder than yesterday if you want a different tomorrow.” – Vincent Williams Sr.
“I hated every minute of training, but I said, ‘Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.” – Muhammad Ali
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then is not an act but a habit.” –Aristotle
“Just believe in yourself. Even if you don’t, just pretend that you do and at some point, you will.” – Venus Williams
“The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” — Mark Twain
“Exercise should be regarded as tribute to the heart” – Gene Tunney
“Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live.” — Jim Rohn
“I’ve failed over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed.” – Michael Jordan
“Once you are exercising regularly, the hardest thing is to stop it.” – Erin Gray
“You’re going to have to let it hurt. Let it suck. The harder you work, the better you will look. Your appearance isn’t parallel to how heavy you lift, it’s parallel to how hard you work.” –Joe Mangianello
“As a counselor, social worker, and marriage and family therapist, my licenses allow me to help Texas residents with issues interfering in life and relationships. My clients experience changes over time in therapy, not just in addressing life changes and decisions but in understanding that they can be confident in who they are, what they can do, and how to make a plan for success.
Register & schedule for mental health counseling via our home page.)
As a certified Life Coach, I also work with clients (worldwide) to attain personal or work-related goals and live more peaceful and satisfying lives. Please contact my offices at 210-970-1511 for information about scheduling Life Coaching appointments.” - Clifton Fuller.
Read more about the difference between Counseling and Life Coaching Here.
Note: Clifton is the author of “The Marriage Vampire” (dealing with narcissistic personalities), now available on Amazon.
Clifton Fuller
LCSW, LPC, LMFT
