FROM STRESS TO STRENGTH: HOW EXERCISE HELPS BUILD RESILIENCE AND MENTAL TOUGHNESS

     Exercise has long been advocated as a way to enhance physical health, but it has also been shown to have several benefits on the mind. More recently, research has focused on how exercise can improve cognitive function and have a great impact on physical health. it helps you get to and more importantly, stay at a healthy weight. Excerciseand diet are crucial for a healthy weight. To maintain weight, balance the calories consumed with the calories burned lose weight, burn more calories than you consume.

         Regular exercise fortifies your heart and vascular system, reducing the risk of heart disease. By strengthening your heart muscle, improving blood circulation and boosting oxygen levels. It also helps helps prevent coronary heart disease, heart attacks, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol and triglyceride levels. This implies that practicing regular exercise helps in maintaining cardiovascular health and reducing the risk of heart-related illnesses, and by implication, giving you better chances to live longer and healthier!  

Exercise has long been promoted to enhance physical health, but it has also been shown to have several benefits on the mind. 

      Physical activity games provide a unique form of enrichment that enhances children’s cognitive development without decreasing the intensity of their physical activities. Cognitive and social stimulation embedded into enjoyable activities which include physical education and outdoor play have been proven to help develop executive function in children, including memory skills, flexible thinking, and self-control. Also, the researchers highlight that the skills developed during these enrichment games are positively linked to the level of physical activity later in life.

In addition to enhancing their cognition, previous research by Tomporowski, P.D. and Pesce, C. (2019) titled “Exercise, sports, and performance arts benefit cognition via a common process”, has suggested that exercise could influence a child’s academic performance by mediating changes in cognitive function such as memory, flexible thinking, self-control as well as the ability to reason and solve problems in new situations. While the researchers highlight that different types of exercise can enhance cognitive processing, they also show that the direct link between exercise-induced changes in cognition and academic performance is less clear. 

       Exercise helps memory and thinking through direct and indirect means. The benefits of exercise come directly from its ability to reduce insulin resistance, reduce inflammation, and stimulate the release of growth factors—chemicals in the brain that affect the health of brain cells, the growth of new blood vessels in the brain, and even the abundance and survival of new brain cells.

Indirectly, exercise improves mood and sleep, and reduces stress and anxiety. Problems in these areas frequently cause or contribute to cognitive impairment.

     Many studies have suggested that the parts of the brain that control thinking and memory (the prefrontal cortex and medial temporal cortex) have greater volume in people who exercise versus people who don't.

 "Even more exciting is the finding that engaging in a program of regular exercise of moderate intensity over six months or a year is associated with an increase in the volume of selected brain regions." This statement was made by Dr. Scott McGinnis, a neurologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital and an instructor in neurology at Harvard Medical School.

        People who exercise regularly tend to do so because it gives them an enormous sense of well-being. They feel more energetic throughout the day, sleep better at night, have sharper memories, and feel more relaxed and positive about themselves and their lives. And it’s also a powerful medicine for many common mental health challenges.

       Regular exercise can have a profoundly positive impact on depression, anxiety, and ADHD. It also relieves stress, improves memory, helps you sleep better, and boosts your overall mood. And you don’t have to be a fitness fanatic to reap the benefits. Research indicates that modest amounts of exercise can make a real difference. No matter your age or fitness level, you can learn to use exercise as a powerful tool to deal with mental health problems, improve your energy and outlook, and get more out of life.

Studies show that exercise can treat mild to moderate depression as effectively as antidepressant medication—but without the side-effects, of course. As one example, a recent study done by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that running for 15 minutes a day or walking for an hour reduces the risk of major depression by 26%. In addition to relieving depression symptoms, research also shows that maintaining an exercise schedule can prevent you from relapsing.

        Exercise is a trusted depression fighter for several reasons. Most importantly, it promotes all kinds of changes in the brain, including neural growth, reduced inflammation, and new activity patterns that promote feelings of calm and well-being. It also releases endorphins, powerful chemicals in your brain, that energize your spirits and make you feel good. Finally, exercise can also serve as a distraction, allowing you to find some quiet time to break out of the cycle of negative thoughts that feed depression.

       Exercise combats anxiety by relieving stress, boosting energy, and releasing endorphins.Move, breathe, calm! Exercise is your natural anxiety remedy. Find an activity you love and make mindfulness a part of your routine for optimal results.

Try to notice the sensation of your feet hitting the ground, for example, or the rhythm of your breathing, or the feeling of the wind on your skin. By adding this mindfulness element—really focusing on your body and how it feels as you exercise—you’ll not only improve your physical condition faster, but you may also be able to interrupt the flow of constant worries running through your head.

Ever noticed how your body feels when you’re under stress? Your muscles may be tense, especially in your face, neck, and shoulders, leaving you with back or neck pain, or painful headaches. You may feel a tightness in your chest, a pounding pulse, or muscle cramps. You may also experience problems such as insomnia, heartburn, stomach ache, diarrhea, or frequent urination. The worry and discomfort of all these physical symptoms can in turn lead to even more stress, creating a vicious cycle between your mind and body.

Exercising is an effective way to break this cycle. 

           Evidence has also suggested that by really focusing on your body and how it feels as you exercise, you can actually help your nervous system become “unstuck” and begin to move out of the immobilization stress response that characterizes PTSD or trauma. Instead of allowing your mind to wander, pay close attention to the physical sensations in your joints and muscles, even your insides as your body moves. Exercises that involve cross movement and that engage both arms and legs—such as walking (especially in sand), running, swimming, weight training, or dancing—are some of your best choices.

Outdoor activities like hiking, sailing, mountain biking, rock climbing, whitewater rafting, and skiing (downhill and cross-country) have also been shown to reduce the symptoms of PTSD.

         Regular activity is an investment in your mind, body, and soul. When it becomes habit, it can foster your sense of self-worth and make you feel strong and powerful. You’ll feel better about your appearance and, by meeting even small exercise goals, you’ll feel a sense of achievement.

         Exercise is more than just a physical activity; it's a catalyst for cognitive enhancement. From improved memory and attention to reduced stress and anxiety, the benefits of regular physical activity extend far beyond the body. As we continue to explore the intricate relationship between exercise and cognition, it becomes increasingly clear that a healthy mind often begins with a healthy body.