From regular walks to workouts or team sports, there are all kinds of activities that can help anxiety and depression. Here’s how to get started
When you are struggling with your mental health, getting active may be one of the last things you feel like doing. But if you can muster the energy, evidence shows that exercise has a powerfully beneficial effect. One 2019 study, published in JAMA Psychiatry, found that physical activity is an effective prevention strategy for depression. Another 2015 paper found that exercise can be as helpful in treating mild to moderate depression as antidepressants and psychotherapy.
“We have known for a long time that exercise promotes physiological and neurochemical responses that make you feel good,” says Prof Nanette Mutrie of the University of Edinburgh’s Institute for Sport, Physical Education and Health Sciences. When we exercise, the brain releases endorphins, as well as dopamine and serotonin. “Very often, these same chemicals form part of antidepressant drugs,” she says.
Continue reading...
0 comments :
Post a Comment