Is Exercise More Effective Than Medicine For Managing Mental Health

Since the pandemic, there has been increased focus towards mental health and how damaging it can be. The number of people that have developed depression and anxiety through the year has gone up by a great deal which is why there is a lot of discussion surrounding mental health.

Some corporations have gone a step further to implement policies that promote better mental health and improve the environment in their workplace. Mental health has a major impact on, not only the mind but, the body as well. It can influence hormonal change which subsequently results in fatigue and unexplainable exhaustion.

Julia Larson/Pexels | Exercising comes with many benefits for your mental health and your physical health.

There are many ways for people to treat mental health issues by going for therapy sessions or psychiatric evaluation that would prescribe medication to help you cope with the symptoms and better your mental health. But what if there was a way you could avoid taking medicine and not worry about your mental health declining? Would you take the chance? Well, there is and it is so simple.

Some of you might be shocked , some might know this already.

The solution to all problems; exercise

It is no secret that exercise is always considered to be a great solution to any health problems like obesity, hypertension, heart problems and more. However, studies have shown that exercising may have a significant impact on other aspects of health, including mental health.

A study published in British Journal of Sports Medicine revealed that physical activity has proved to be beneficial for symptoms of anxiety, depression and distress. In a comprehensive review consisting of 128,119, 1,039 trials and 97 reviews that resulted in exercise being proved as an effective method to improve mental health.

Andrea Piacquadio/Pexels | This extensive research proves the importance of exercise.

Short time but long-term benefits.

Another interesting thing that came up during the review was that the exercise duration that was spread across 12 weeks or less turned out to be significant in reducing the mental health symptoms. This means that exercising can help improve symptoms in a short period of time. The groups of people suffering from depression, pregnant women, women struggling with postpartum depression, people with kidney diseases or HIV were the ones that benefitted to most.

Julia Larson/Pexels | Would you try exercising and try it for yourself?

Not the first choice

Despite the fact that exercise has been recommended by health experts for a long time, it is still not adopted as it should be. Lifestyle change can turn things around for a lot of people and exercise is the main driving force. Now, with this research, it confirms that exercise is indeed a great way to reduce mental symptoms.

The World Health Organization stated that 1 in every 8 people suffers from mental health issues which means approximately 970 million people. And poor mental health burdens the world economy with $2.5 trillion and it is expected to rise up to $6 trillion in 2023.