Building Mental Wellness Through Exercise

The Connection Between Exercise and Mental Health

Exercising regularly helps improve your mood. Through physical activity, your brain will release endorphins, or neurotransmitters. These chemical messengers are released from your pituitary gland when you are physically active and communicate with your brain so that you feel happier and less stressed.

Exercise can also help you gain confidence as you reach goals and personal records with your workout routines. Lifting a heavier set of weights or reaching a faster mile time can give you a sense of accomplishment.

Incorporating exercise into your life can be a great tool for managing depression and anxiety, too, as it can boost your mood and reduce stress. It can be a healthy coping mechanism to handle stressors from work or life; therefore, greatly reducing anxiety. Plus, the increase in endorphins and self-confi dence can off set the lows you may feel from depression

Developing a Plan for Mental Wellness

Now that you know exercise boosts your mental health, it’s time to start shaping your lifestyle into one that supports healthier habits. This may seem daunting as it’s hard to know where to start. Fortunately, the team at Schneck Lifestyle Medicine can coach you through the process. Below are some of the key areas we’ll focus on as we develop a strategy for better overall wellness.

• Meet with your doctor - We’ll meet with you to assess your health. We’ll discuss your goals, as well as any underlying issues that may inhibit certain activities.
• Develop an exercise routine - We’ll discuss what activities are your favorite, as those will be easier to keep up with. Say you enjoy biking the most, we’ll create a plan centered around it—what time of day you want to bike, for how long, and what goals you want to attain with it.
• Create a structured diet - We’ll suggest you meet with a dietician to create a plan for healthy eating. Eating good food will fuel your body to continue performing at an optimal level. Also, eating the right foods will strengthen focus, mood, and temperament.
• Meet with a mental health professional - You may also want to meet with the mental health team at Schneck for further support. While exercising and eating right are great ways to improve your outlook on life, sometimes talking to a trained professional is necessary for growth.

Our team will work holistically to improve your well-being, focusing on the physical and emotional aspects of your health. We know mental health is not a one-size-fits-all, so we will work to create a customized plan that works for you