Mental health: How fitness can help you during the tough times
Last week was mental health week; people spoke about it on the radio to raise awareness throughout the UK. Fitness can help during any mental health issue to make you fell better. An interesting fact is that men in particular are more likely to suffer from mental health than women.
I’m reading a book about mental health, I haven’t finished yet but it have opened my mind to why men are more likely to suffer from mental health. The statistics in the UK are quite drastic in saying that 3 out of 4 suicide deaths are by men. Men are more likely to use alcohol and illegal drugs to cope with the issues they are having.
In my book, it says that men try and deal with everything themselves they don’t seak help or talk about what they might be going through. We have been conditioned to think that it is feminine to talk about feelings. We keep it inside and we have a massive blow out when it gets too much. By the fact, it look like we are killing ourselves.
How do we get like this?
Men are taught from a young age that it’s bad to cry and express emotion. This can be seen just by saying to your child ‘Boys don’t cry’. This is what surprised me as the reader and it actually made me see the damage parents are doing to societies children just because they think boys aren’t meant to cry. This leads into adulthood and we grow up unable to control the ability to communicate our feeling to others.
You see this on the side of a youth football matches when mum and/or dad shouting at there son or daughter. Positive support is fine and it will make them better but negative remarks lead a child to hate the sport.
Anyway, I am here to tell you how fitness can help you with your mental health or depression.
Hormones – endorphins
Endorphins are released by the pituitary gland in the brain when the human body has to cope with strenuous exercise to relieve pain and induce feelings of pleasure.
So when you go to the gym or play sport or move in any shape or form it feels good. There is no need for drugs or alcohol. You have to move the body and you will have your natural drug released.
Boosts mood, go out and run
If you are stuck inside all day you will get cabin fever. When we et like this it makes us feel like pulling our hair out. You should go out for a long walk in the woods or a run along a track. The fresh air and bodily movements will help you change your mood. Many people stay inside sat down at a desk all day long because we live in a world where services are what we provide to each other. We don’t get to move anymore. This is bound to improve the bad statistics of mental health in the UK.
Stretch to get rid of tension
We have a lot of tension in our bodies today. We sit all the time and it makes up stiff as a board. I know this because personal training in Windsor. I have a lot of clients that are tight in the hip flexors, glutes and hamstrings. Stretch or learn to do yoga in your spare time. Our muscles and tendons get tight and stress is even worse when we are in this state. Which can make us feel bad about ourselves.
Last thought
People ask me why I exercise and they always think it’s because I’m vein and want to look good. I tell them, It’s more to do with feeling great rather than looking great. That’s just a result of how you feel inside.