As a part of Mental Health Awareness month, we are looking to promote movement as an activity for improving mental health. Many mental health concerns that people face can be paralyzing. Depression, PTSD, Anxiety, and others can leave us feeling stuck and struggling to move both physically and emotionally. There are still others that have symptoms that can be quieted from increased movement such as ADHD.
Physical activity has many well-established mental health benefits. These are published in the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. It improves the functioning of the central nervous system, heart, and lungs. Increasing physical activity directly contributes to improved mental health and better overall health and well-being.
At some points movement may feel difficult but can be powerful. The good news is that even small amounts of physical activity can immediately reduce symptoms of anxiety in adults and older adults. Engaging in regular physical activity has also been shown to reduce the risk of developing depression in children and adults as cited in Physical Activity Is Good for the Mind and the Body – News & Events | health.gov
While often difficult initially, the best cure for the inability to move is movement. Movement is powerful. It stimulates and soothes, improving the functioning of the central nervous system (including the brain), heart, and lungs, among other things. Individuals have reported reductions in symptoms of their mental health concerns such as Fatigue, Chronic Pain, headaches, and Jaw tension and pain to name a few.
The many mental health benefits of movement include:
- Quiets the mind and body’s automatic stress response
- Encourages and Improves breathing
- Cools the fight-or-flight response
- Initiates relaxation
- Provides natural energy
- Increases self-confidence and a sense of worth
- Supports mood regulation
- Improves sleep
What is the best form of movement for you depends on you. Movement is personal and can be done alone or with others. Some possible ideas include:
- Yoga
- Walking
- Running
- Swimming
- Gardening
- Dancing
- Biking
- Stretching
- Toning with small weights
The idea is to choose activities that get you moving, and you enjoy. Sometimes, we don’t enjoy anything, and that’s okay. Choose something you can tolerate. Dedicate a short amount of time to it every day and lengthen the time as you feel better. Any kind of movement, done consistently, helps mental health. Get someone involved to support you in this new activity. Moving with others can help us with motivation and consistency and can be fun.