Top 10 Reasons Exercise Helps Fight Depression and Anxiety

The Top 10 Reasons Exercise Fights Depression and
Anxiety
“Be kind.  For everyone you meet is fighting a battle you
know nothing about.”― Wendy Mass, The Candymakers

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1.   Boost Self-Esteem– The most
important reason to exercise is self-efficacy.  Feelings of
burden and inadequacy are what bring me down the fastest, which
inspires me to push forward and harder in each workout.


2.  Exercise reduces stress– Each and every
workout pushes me further than the one before. 
Resistance training reduces stress by boosting serotonin and
lowers cortisol, the stress hormone.  Working out with
others will also lower stress by building a support system around
you, eliminating the feelings of solitude.


3.  Improves sleep– Throughout
college, anxiety destroyed my sleep patterns.  Tossing and
turning until 2-3 am nightly affected performance in class and
prevented me from reaching my goals in a timely manner.
 Since graduation in 2012, I added a melatonin supplement to
my daily routine and increased the intensity of exercise which
has made a huge difference in getting the quality of sleep.


4. Improves muscle tone and
strength- Progress over time and reaching fitness
goals drastically improves my confidence over time, eliminating
the depressing and anxious thoughts speeding through my mind and
heart.


5. Reduces body fat– A combination with diet and
exercise, a positive body image can greatly improve feelings of
self-efficacy.


6. Strengthens heart and lowers blood
pressure- Having high blood pressure logically
raises stress and anxiety, but because of exercise, I will
prevent those feelings and a premature death from heart disease.


7. Increases energy level- Just as the
downward spiral is continued without exercise, the opposite is
true when I have a great routine and motivation to exercise.
 The more exercise in my life, the more energy I have to put
into the success of my business and personal life.


8. Ward off anxiety and feelings of
depression- I implement the higher intensity
exercise into my fitness routine to take a break from the stress
of life for an hour or so.  I never used to practice
self-care and take “me time” until this year, knowing that in
order to achieve my business and personal goals I must feel
deserving of that time set aside for me.


9. Builds stronger bones– Resistance
training places stress on bones, bending them and strengthening
them without breaking.  Red blood cells are formed in the
marrow of our bones increasing the importance of strong, healthy
bones.  After exercise becomes routine, the body functions
better over time and hormones level out to improve mood.


10. Look better, feel better- Losing
15 pounds of unhealthy weight got others asking “How did you make
a change?”.  You better believe the difference that makes in
my life and helped the self-esteem increase over time.


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