According to studies, regular exercise can help people overcome sadness, increase their self-esteem, and even repair brain damage.
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Amount of Exercise
According to the Daily Mail, 53 million US citizens struggle with mental illnesses such as major depressive disorder and anxiety disorders. However, 82 million or more Americans aged six and over don't exercise at all.
Exercise triggers the body's natural reward system to work. A person experiences a mood boost as a result of the release of dopamine, endorphins, and serotonin. Regular exercise helps in rewiring the reward system, leading to greater dopamine and dopamine receptor levels in the blood over time.
Running Improves Executive Function
According to research from Western Michigan University, running quickly for 30 minutes improves cortical flicker frequency. This is related to the capacity for information processing, which is hampered by anxiety and sadness.
On the other hand, researchers from Nottingham Trent University and Lithuanian Sports University discovered that running at varying intensities improves several aspects of executive function. This includes our capacity to focus, tune out distractions, and solve problems, all of which help calm agitated sensations.
Swimming Repairs Stress-Related Brain Damage
Swimming can repair stress-related brain damage by stimulating the growth of new neurons, according to South Korean researchers.
They studied the brains of two groups of mice, one of which was made to swim five days a week for eight weeks while the other was left inactive.
The group that went swimming produced more neurons in their brains than the group that didn't go swimming. Regular swimming decreases blood pressure by preventing blood vessel hardening, which plays a major role in the rise in blood pressure with advancing age, according to Dr. Hana Patel, a private GP and mental health coach in London.
Dancing Improves Mood
Researchers from Selçuk University in Turkey have shown that dancing can significantly improve mood without the use of medicines. After 12 weeks of dance instruction, 120 pupils' depression levels decreased.
A study in the journal Frontiers in Psychology examined 351 people with mild to severe depression who were getting dance movement therapy in addition to their standard of care, which may have included medication or another type of psychological therapy.
According to the study, participants who participated in dance movement therapy twice a week for 10 weeks saw a reduction in their depression levels compared to those who simply received their regular care.
Team Sports Can Boost Mental Health
According to the research, kids who play team sports experience fewer mental health issues than kids who don't play any organized sports at all.
Researchers from California State University, Fullerton, examined information on 11,235 kids, ages nine to thirteen, who participated in sports and their mental health.
The study discovered that kids who play sports like tennis or wrestling only on their own, face more mental health issues than kids who play no sports at all, highlighting the significance of the social component.
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Yoga Manages Stress
Yoga is more effective than conventional stress management at reducing the signs and symptoms of anxiety, according to a New York University study.
Based on the research, 226 individuals with generalized anxiety disorder began practicing Kundalini yoga, taking a course in stress management, or receiving cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).
Fifty-four percent of those who practiced yoga saw an improvement in their symptoms three months later, following weekly hour-long sessions.
This was far better than the outcomes of the stress management group, where just a third of patients showed an improvement in their condition. Yet, CBT was still the most effective.
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