In the last 15-20 years, science has proven the beneficial effects of physical activity on different brain functions. These effects can be noticed quite quickly and they occur independently of age or the level of fitness of the people that incorporate physical activity in their lifestyles.

Get motivated and keep your body active and you will see how exercise can improve your mental health, the way you relate to others and help you to have a healthier and happier life through these “secondary effects” of training:

1. Reduce stress and relieve anxiety: Simply going for a good walk or having a session at the gym will help you to manage day to day physical and mental stress. During and after exercise, different compounds are released in our brain that moderate the brain’s response to stress and contribute to reduce symptoms of anxiety and even reduce sensitiveness when facing stressful factors. It also works to help you sleep better, even people with insomnia.
2. Increase your happiness: Endorphins are also additional chemical substances that are released in the brain when you do exercise, and they have a direct link to the feelings off happiness and euphoria. These compounds are produced by our own cells and are even more efficient than antidepressant medicine to alleviate people’s symptoms of clinical depression and anxiety, and this is the reason why health professionals always recommend starting with exercise to treat depression. In order to obtain this benefit, it has been proven that 30 minutes of exercise 2 or 3 times a week is sufficient.
3. It increases self-confidence: It doesn’t matter about your weight, your age, or if you are a man or a woman. Improving your physical condition will help you to improve your self-confidence, as you will appreciate your image more and reinforce your attractiveness and confidence around others. Furthermore, if you set yourself small objectives in your exercise regime, you will continue to overcome and grow internally in these positive feelings.
4. It helps to prevent cognitive impairment: It has been proven through different studies that cardiovascular exercise can induce neurogenesis, increase the release of growth factors and improves the overall functioning of the different brain systems, such as those related to memory and learning processes.
5. It enhances your creativity: Physical exercise increases our energy levels and helps us to be more productive in our daily activities. A good training session also helps to clear your thoughts and enhances your creativity up until two hours after working out.

So now you know…mens sana in corpore sano (a healthy mind in a healthy body).