Exercise and healthy nutrition are imperative for you to be at your best both mentally and physically. Decades of research has proven that when you exercise and eat a healthy, you will be able to prevent and treat many diseases. Mental health can be affected just as much by exercise and nutrition as your physical health.
For you, as an aging individual, the necessity of regular physical activity and having a well-rounded, healthy diet is even more crucial as you defend against mental illness including the onset of dementia and/ or Alzheimer’s.
With these two key components, you will drastically be able to impact your mental and physical health. Here are some of the many benefits of engaging in regular exercise and eating a well-rounded diet.
1. Reduced Stress Levels: Research has shown that regular physical activity can reduce the levels of stress one may experience.
2. Improved Sleep Patterns: Regular exercise and eating properly impact your ability to sleep through increasing the time spent in deep sleep, and can allow for a more restful sleep.
3. Improved Self-Esteem: Exercising and improving your nutrition can improve your ability to think positively about yourself. If you struggle with a low self-esteem, exercising regularly is a great place to start.
4. Reducing the Feeling of Loneliness: Being involved in regular exercise, especially in a group setting or at a gym, can impact the feeling of loneliness by getting you out and into the world.
5. Improved Memory: Due to the increased blood flow to the brain while exercising, your brain is able to retain information better which also allows for improved memory function.
6. Improved Cognitive Ability: Regular exercise has been shown to improve cognitive abilities such as planning, prioritizing and more.
7. Reduced Blood Pressure: Controlling your blood pressure through your diet and exercise can reduce, or even delay, the effects of Alzheimer’s and other mental illnesses.
8. Increased Release of Endorphins and Serotonin: The release of these chemicals is enhanced during and after exercise can improve your mood.
9. Reduced Fatigue: Reducing your feeling of fatigue can immensely impact your mental health. When you are eating a well- rounded diet and exercising regularly the occurrence of fatigue diminishes.
10. Increased Size of Hippocampus: As stated in the article, ‘Exercise and Mental Health’ on Healthdirect.com, “Exercise pumps blood to the brain, which should make you think more clearly.
It increases the size of the hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for memory.”
11. Improved Attention: Your ability to focus and pay attention while working on tasks is vital. When you are unable to focus and give the proper attention to your work, your family and other activities your mental health begins to suffer. Regular exercise and proper nutrition allow you to focus and give attention where it is needed for prolonged periods of time.
12. Improved Decision Making: When there is an increase in the blood flow to the brain, the feeling of “foggy thinking” is reduced. This can be directly correlated to the improvement in decision making in multiple areas of your life.
13. Increases Autonomy: The ability to make your own decisions and feeling free to make your own choices is important. Regular exercise, proper nutrition, a clearer mind, improved self-esteem and more will allow you to make better decisions, have more confidence in the decisions you make and ensure that you have the freedom and control you desire.
14. Increased Confidence: Regular exercise and finding success in your health goals gives you more confidence in other areas of your life including work, family, personal growth and more.
15. Improved Personal Growth: As you reach your health goals, become clearer headed and gain more confidence you begin to find more personal growth as well. It becomes easier to find success in other areas of your life when you first find success in your health.
Regular exercise and improved nutrition have many more benefits than just those listed above. Really, the benefits are all encompassing. Imagine the success and how much more you would enjoy life if you are able to experience just a handful of these benefits, much less all of them or many of the others not on this list.
How Can Mind Muscle Memory Help You Get Started?
At Mind Muscle Memory (M3), you are the priority. We offer a number of services to meet you where you’re at so your needs are meant, and you can begin seeing results faster and for longer. For more information on how we can help, or to get started feeling better and getting results, contact us [LINK} today!