Exercise and mental health, an indissoluble link
In order to protect mental health, it is necessary to devote a certain amount of time to physical exercise. The World Health Organization recommends it, because, as many sources point out, there is no health without mental health. WHO estimates that you need between 150 and 300 minutes of moderate exercise per week, or between 75 and 150 minutes of strenuous exercise. All distributed in two or three weekly sessions, preferably alternating different disciplines. Neuroscientist Nazareth Castellanos in her book neuroscience of the body (Editorial En órbita) devotes a chapter to the ability of exercise to promote emotional well-being and, at the same time, physical health of the brain
The benefits of physical exercise at the neuronal level
It has long been talked about the fact that endorphins are released during sport that improve our state of well-being. But it is interesting to note that several neuroscience studies have confirmed that exercise not only cures mental alterations, as Castellanos explains, but at the neuronal level it promotes neurogenesis or, in other words, the generation of new neurons. “Exercise has been observed to promote brain resources for cognition, improve plasticity, vascular function and reduce inflammation. After a single session, neuronal growth factors increase, although obviously a single session. it is not enough to maintain the benefits “, underlines the expert.
Exercise reduces anxiety
Physical exercise, it is well known, serves to relieve tension. But science has measured the extent to which exercise reduces anxiety. The results are between 15 and 25%, explains Castellanos. The author refers to a 2018 study that sedentary people have a higher risk of suffering from depression. As the expert explains, more and more mental health centers are integrating physical exercise into their protocol. In fact, the author cites as an example an outpatient clinic of the Australian health service that has transformed its offices into a gym, obtaining a significant reduction in psychiatric symptoms.
The importance of posture
Posture changes the mood, but also the way reality is perceived. For example, Castellanos reports data from a 2014 study that showed that good posture with a straight back facilitates memory, while a slouching posture can dull memories and even lead to remembering things in a negative way. “The body is a hinge that allows us to migrate from one state to another. Just as the brain interprets posture to infer our state, a change in it can help reverse a situation,” he explains. Therefore, working on postural awareness also helps to work on positive emotions. “Being aware of your posture during the day could become a mental health ally, another tool that most people don’t know and that those of us who are aware of it don’t always take into consideration,” concludes Castellanos.
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This article was originally published in Vogue Spain