It has been found that the effects of exercise and nutrition are advantageous when discussing it's impact on an individual's mental health, not just their physical health. We wanted to talk about a few of the benefits so that we can carry on the discussion about mental health and open up the benefits of health and fitness to more people in the community.
1. Improved self esteem.
In some cases, individuals who are suffering with illnesses such as anxiety or depression may be susceptible to having a low self esteem. This could possibly be due to a lack of confidence in relation to their physical appearance, and general unhappiness with the way look in front of others during social and work activities. This can have a huge impact on an individual's relationships with friends, family and partners as well as how an individual is able to perform at their best in the workplace.
Being active and completing regular exercise alongside a healthy and balanced diet are two main factors that can influence the transformation of an individual's body both internally and externally. This leads to an individual being happier with the way they are looking and can have a positive impact with the way they approach social and work activities.
Sometimes social situations can be hindered for an individual with a low self esteem as they usually require dressing up and appearing in front of large groups. We believe that diet and exercise are two ways in which an individual is able to feel more confident with their own body and bringing out their true self when speaking to new friends or potential partners.
In most cases, work life involves working as a team or interacting with a large number of people in order to get the job done. This may be through working in groups from day to day, but can also be through presentations which require you to stand up in a room and talk to large numbers of people. We believe that diet and exercise are two ways that an individual can feel confident, for example in a group project or having all eyes set on them at the front of the room.
2. Motivates you by setting new targets and goals.
A lack of motivation to complete the simplest of tasks can be a problem for individuals who are suffering with depression. This can include even getting themselves out of bed, showering or going into their school or work. In most cases, the individuals who are suffering cannot explain why they are feeling unmotivated and this exasperates the situation as it becomes harder to deal with appropriately.
The introduction of exercise and fitness can be helpful when implemented in the lifestyle of an individual who lacks motivation as it's foundations are primarily based upon setting yourself new targets and reaching set goals (the two aspects of life that strive us to do more and do better for ourselves each and every day).
Progressive overload in lifting terms refers to the gradual increase of weight when lifting weights in the gym. This is an example of exercise implementing a structure in which the individual is expected to set targets and try to reach them over a time period. Nutritional targets can also be set on a daily basis by an individual dependent on their fitness goal. Calorie and macronutrient counting is based upon setting a goal or limit that you are to stick to, whether it be counting calories to lose weight or counting protein intake in order to preserve muscle mass.
We believe that these examples through exercise and nutrition can act as a catalyst for an individual who lacks motivation in life, and hopefully can kick start their other goals and aspirations outside of health and fitness.
3. Higher energy and concentration levels.
A diet that primarily consists of foods that are low in nutritional value and a poor level of physical activity can be detrimental to an individual's mind and bodily functions when performing tasks. A good analogy to use when looking at this is by picturing a see saw as the body's key functions. Too much of anything on one side, such as carbohydrates and nothing on the other side, such as exercise and the see saw will collapse. To seek balance and structure, we need to keep everything in moderation on each side in order to live a well rounded lifestyle.
A balanced diet that is rich in a variety of nutrients can be beneficial for energy and concentration levels due to the variety of different benefits that each food group has on the body. For example, eating fruits and vegetables will provide the body with vitamins and nutrients which can help strengthen the immune system and blood circulation. Eating these with quality meats such as chicken and lean beef can provide the body with fats and proteins to help the development of muscle tissue and our organ system.
Performing intense physical activity regularly can have a positive impact on an individual's energy and concentration levels in the long term as it's effects can improve overall cardiovascular fitness. This makes the body more efficient in moving blood and oxygen around the body, raising energy levels and allowing an individual to focus and move for longer throughout the day.
This can benefit all kinds of people whatever task they may be completing. Teenagers at high school who are revising for their exams in the Summer. Teachers who need that extra drive at 9am to teach those annoying teenagers at high school. Dads who are constantly forced into playing football in the back garden with the kids.
No matter what the lifestyle, a balanced diet and exercise 2-3 times a week can give you that extra boost you need to get things done.
4. Better sleep at night time.
An irregular sleeping pattern can have huge negative effects on the way that an individual is feeling throughout the day and resultantly, it can impact on their lifestyle in the long term. An individual who is suffering with mental illness are more than likely suffering from irregular sleeping patterns, either from a lack of sleep or from sleeping for too long. The average person is recommended to sleep between 7 and 9 hours a night in order for bodily functions to be complete and for energy levels to be sufficient for the following day.
One way in which exercise is able to improve an individual's sleeping pattern is through it's thermic affect on the body during and after the completion of the exercise. Whilst the body is completing exercise, whether it is playing sport or running on a treadmill, the body heats up as we use up more energy. After we have finished our exercise and we cool down, the body's core temperature begins to decrease and the positive effect of this is that the shift can cause the individual to be more tired, thus going to sleep earlier and reducing insomnia. This can be one of the positives of working out later on in the day, as opposed to exercising earlier on in the morning.
Stress, anxiety, depression or even arousal can be main factors as to why individuals may find it hard to get themselves into a healthy sleeping pattern at night time. It has been suggested that the introduction of exercise in an individual's lifestyle releases plenty of endorphins to the brain and helps eliminate negative emotions that an individual may be suffering with. Due to this, individuals are less likely to overthink at the night time and resultantly have a better night sleep.
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