How Does Exercise Improve Stress?

From alleviating symptoms of anxiety and depression to improving cognition, there are plenty of health benefits linked to exercise: reducing type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, and weight loss, but how exactly does how does exercise help us biologically? 

Let’s take the exercise of running as an example. When we run, we focus on the rhythm of our breathing, our running pace, or the feeling of our feet hitting the ground with each step. This action in itself is a form of mindfulness practiced by running. Consequently, we are focusing on how our body feels as we exercise. Therefore, not only are we improving our endurance and physical condition, but we are also preventing anxious thoughts from clouding our heads. 

If you have trouble getting a good night’s sleep, exercise can most definitely regulate our circadian rhythm. Our body undergoes heating when we exercise; this prompts an increase in body temperature. Accordingly, the drop in temperature causes sleepiness.

Furthermore, exercise has also found to strengthen our memory and increase our mental abilities. There have been studies conducted on mice and humans that have shown cardio exercises promote neurogenesis. Neurogenesis is the process of forming new neurons in the brain, which can lead to improvements in cognitive thinking.
Studies have also shown that physical activity strengthens our hippocampus. The hippocampus is located in our temporal lobe, and it plays an important role in memory and learning. 

It might be hard to find the motivation to go on that walk or go to the gym. If you ever find yourself feeling unmotivated, try to remind yourself of all the other benefits that come along with it!

Picture Source: betterhelp.com