We all know that exercise is good for our physical health as it increases our muscle mass, improves our cardiovascular fitness, strengthen our bones and on and on. However, it has always been forgotten that exercise also has massive impacts on our psychological well-being, including reducing stress.
Statistics show that people who exercise regularly show faster recovery from psychological stress. They also tend to cope with stress better. There are heaps of reasons and the following are a few of them:
- Exercise allows detoxification of stress-related compounds in our body and reduces muscular tension, therefore causing less stress to the body.
- Exercise increases endorphin level in our body, which is a chemical that improves our mood.
- Exercises improves sleep quality.
- Exercise promotes physical fitness to fight against stress and disease.
- Exercise enables outlet for anger and hostility as we release our physical energy.
- Exercise enhances our self-esteem and self-efficacy as we reach different milestones and are able to achieve our goals.
These definitely gives us more motivation to exercise even when we find it hard to! It is recommended that physical exercise at the volume of 20 to 30 mins, 3 to 5 times a week at moderate intensity is sufficient to provide benefits for our psychological health.
Title: Physical Exercise and Psychological Well-being
Source: Edwards, S. (2006). Physical Exercise and Psychological Well-Being. South African Journal of Psychology, 36(2), 357–373.
https://doi.org/10.1177/008124630603600209
Read time: 15 mins