How Moving Heals the Mind & Body
Good for the Body and Mind
Here’s some good news: physical movement is one of the purest forms of therapy and certainly one of the cheapest. And it’s not just physical therapy. The motion of your limbs, the increase of your blood flow, and the growing rapidity of your heart rate do more than condition your body and burn calories. Movement calms your nervous system and can even help you create new neural pathways to cope with anxiety and depression. In fact, moving your body is one of easiest, most successful ways to help treat a myriad of mental health challenges. It doesn’t matter how hard you work your body or what physical feats you are capable of. It’s about movement…any movement…and the joy is produces.
Sweat for Sanity
The science regarding physical exercise is astonishing. It’s no wonder people who workout talk about it all the time! The serotonin produced from a good workout can be both life-changing and life-giving because it actually trains our central nervous system to grow our tolerance of fight or flight responses. Teaching our bodies how to deal with the physical strains of movement helps us manage the moments of intense anxiety we experience. For example, a sudden sweat may seem like an anxiety symptom, unless our body correlates it with an intense yoga pose. An increased heartbeat may seem like panic unless our body correlates it to a great jog. When panic arises, our body may even begin to crave physical movement, knowing the anxiety will have the chance to release itself in our exercise and sweat.
The beautiful thing is, your body doesn’t need you to run a 5k or benchpress 400 pounds every time you feel depressed. It simply needs movement that produces joy.
The beautiful thing is, your body doesn’t need you to run a 5k or benchpress 400 pounds every time you feel depressed. It simply needs movement that produces joy. A simple walk may suffice. Or maybe a jog if you’re feeling extra stressed. Or a salsa lesson. Or a yoga session. The type of movement doesn’t matter near as much as the fact that you’re doing it.
Synchronized Sweat
Even more fascinating than recent studies on the healing benefits of movement, are the fun facts about synchronized exercise. Performing an exercise routine (or simply lifting a weight simultaneously with someone else) improves self-esteem across the board. In fact, participants who synchronized their exercises with others developed the natural tendency to like the other participants more, feel more compassion for them, and have a better memory of what they said. It seems clear that humans are not meant for isolation…community life strengthens our emotional, mental, and physical health.
While exercise is not a silver bullet to make your internal turmoil instantly disappear, the benefits of getting moving are undeniable. So, add this simple, attainable, helpful tool to your mental health toolbox to help relieve tension and anxiety. Grab some workout clothes and hit a fitness class or grab a friend for a walk in the park. Beat the blues in those running shoes.
Put It Into Practice
Feeling overwhelmed or foggy brained?____
So many of us suffer from distraction and overstimulation these days. Try to regain some clarity with some mindful movement in the quiet of your bedroom. Ground yourself by sitting cross legged in your floor. Close your eyes and rest your palms on the your knees. After three deep breaths, stretch your arms up to the ceiling and then to the left and right, stretching out any tension in your shoulders and neck. Next, put your legs out in front of you and flex your toes on and off for five counts. Practice noticing sounds, smells, and textures as you move. Thank God for five good evidences of His grace in your life. Feel how healing a little movement can be.
Other Interesting Tools To Help You Thrive
Verified Reliable Sources for the Content in This Article: “How simply moving benefits your mental health” via Harvard Medical School