Natural vs. Unnatural
I’m a firm believer that doing basic things such as fixing your diet or practicing other positive habits can reduce a lot of the anguish people experience today. Modern solutions have become that much more unnatural as a result of the pharmaceutical industry’s efforts and the proclivity of the human mind to resort to substance. Data in 2012 shows that the US public spent over a billion dollars on one brand of antidepressant called Cymbalta. More recently, and on a global scale, the antidepressant market reached $15.61 billion in 2021. You might be thinking that this makes sense because there’s a market for it today, which there is. But that’s exactly the point: there’s a market for people’s misery, in the form of pills. Shouldn’t that be a red flag? Corporations have no incentive to create drugs that cure people because then they’ll lose customers if there is no recurring sale to be made.
If you are at a point of mental crisis, then it’s imperative that you consult a professional. If that means medication, so be it, because life or death should not be a question that’s up for debate. However, in less extreme circumstances, there are other methods of improving your mental health. One of them is exercise. This is how physical exercise improves mental health.
How It Works
When we push our bodies by engaging in aerobic and anaerobic exercise, the brain releases two major neurotransmitters: dopamine and seretonin. Dopamine, often mistaken for the molecule of pleasure, is actually the molecule of motivation, desire and pursuit; whereas seretonin is the molecule of happiness, focus and calmness. These neurotransmitter levels are regulated through physical activity, which result in you feeling good afterwards. Notice how you almost never regret going to the gym or a run – this is why.
Impact on Mental Health
It’s fairly established at this point that exercise has positive effects on the brain and mind, and actually improves mental health. But there is still a massive market for pills to quell your problems, which interferes with the more natural approaches someone might choose as an alternative. As mentioned, if you’re in a state of crisis, there is definitely more reason to resort to pharmaceuticals – however the evidence pointing to physical exercise as a means of helping yourself in less extreme circumstances is undeniable. For one, a published article by C. Barr Taylor, MD, James F. Sallis, MD and Richard Needle, PhD, addresses that over 1000 articles have stated exercise to alleviate symptoms of depression; improve self concept and confidence in both children and adolescents; reduce anxiety and possibly improve mood; and alter some aspects of the stress response. I can attest that when feeling depressed, working out at the gym or going for a run never fails to improve my mood and self image. It is a sure-fire way to ease any mental tension you might have. The same article also mentions that it could improve functioning in those experiencing such feelings, which is massive, as excess negative emotion can sometimes cloud your judgement and reasoning abilities.
As this topic pertains to men, exercising regularly reduces depressive or anxious feelings as a result of the surge in testosterone these activities produce. Poor mental health is correlated with low testosterone, so when you are experiencing this it’s because your body is producing more estrogen hormones. This is why hitting the gym is often recommended when you’re feeling low – it’s a naturalistic approach to balancing your hormone levels. However, physical exercise improves mental health regardless of gender.
Impact on the Brain’s Cognitive Functioning
Physical exercise is also a great way to stimulate cognition levels. Even though it’s encouraged at any time of the day, because any time is better than no time at all, working out or going for a run in the morning allows you to engage better with thought-requiring tasks throughout the day, such as work and academic learning. Some benefits include quicker information processing, less brain fog, and less mental distractions. Again though, any time it can fit into your schedule is fine. If you have something coming up later on in the day, like a deep work session, exercising beforehand will definitely provide some benefits when that time comes. In my case, I find that doing so prior to writing content or simply reading a book allows me to produce better work and digest and understand information more effectively.
Some cross-sectional and epidemiological studies have concluded that physical exercise improves memory in young and older adults, increases attention and increases executive control processes. In terms of children alone, the ones who engage in regular aerobic activity perform better on verbal, perceptual and arithmetic tests than sedentary ones of the same age. What we can derive from this data is that no matter what your age is, exercise will benefit your brain’s performance in a number of ways.
Discipline
Eventually, you might be so accustomed to physical exercise that it becomes ingrained into your daily routine. Perhaps you go knowing that physical exercise improves mental health, and you’re looking for a way to help yourself in this regard, or perhaps you simply go to reap the physical benefits – such as weight loss or increased muscle mass. In either case, there are going to be days when you just don’t feel like going to the gym. This is normal. But it is at this time that you have to go, despite your emotional state or energy levels. Forcing yourself in this way creates massive amounts of discipline, which is ultimately the most helpful quality you can carry to increase mental health. Think of it as laying the foundation for your future self – if you’re sacrificing momentary comfort for future gain, you’re showing through action that you care about yourself. Then, once repeated enough times, you can reflect with pride that clearly there is something being done in your life for the better.
Expect the discipline you foster to also carry over into other areas of life. As they say, “the way you do one thing is the way you do everything.” Training yourself to push the boundaries of your physical and mental limitations every day will teach you to go the extra mile in work, dedicate more time to your purpose, refuse foods and drinks that are bad for your health. It is a powerful example of how to take control of your life.
Sources
- Mendolesi, Laura. Polverino, Arianna. Montuori, Simone. Foti, Francesca. Ferraioli, Giampaola. Sorrentino, Pierpaolo. Sorrentino, Giuseppe. “Effects of Physical Exercise on Cognitive Functioning and Wellbeing: Biological and Psychological Benefits.” Frontiers in Psychology, 27 April 2018, https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00509/full.
- Van Der Kolk, Bessel. The Body Keeps the Score. New York City, Penguin Books, 25 September 2014.