Mind-body connections: Physical activity directly influences mental health

Getting physical does make you feel good, as the endorphins released during bodily activities directly influence your mental health. Try spending a day in front of your computer, typing away furiously—using the excuse that you have no time for exercise due to a client deadline. Maybe by evening, you feel like you've accomplished a lot on your computer, but how do you feel emotionally the next morning? Try doing this for a solid week.

Next, try to live a balance day—leading into week—whereby your calendar revolves around you and your physical activites, starting with an early morning Mysore-style Ashtanga yoga practice. When you are your high priority business meeting, or social engagement, you certainly feel more mentally, emotionally and psychologically stable as a whole being.

"You may dread the treadmill or hate lifting weights, but people who are more physically active tend to report higher levels of excitement and enthusiasm than their less-active peers. We've long known that exercise serves as a powerful feel-good tool, able to help fight off depression and anxiety."

New research on mind-body connections concludes that you will feel significantly better on a day when you are more physically active, and that your overall levels of physical activity tend to correspond to feeling good in general.

© 2012 R.E.L. Copywriting