This activity helps people with depression and anxiety

One of the activities people recommend first when discussing conditions like depression and anxiety is exercise. The suggestion is so ubiquitous that it has now become almost a cliché. Still, there’s evidence that exercise is incredibly helpful for your mental health by reducing muscle tension, boosting serotonin production, and more.

A British study suggests that people with depression and anxiety are twice as likely to benefit from exercise than people who do not suffer from these conditions.

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Photo by Alexander Redl via Unsplash

The data was obtained by tracking the exercise patterns of over 50,000 people in their late 50s. About a third of them were affected by health problems such as depression and anxiety. While everyone benefited from moderate exercise, people with a mental illness were 22 percent less likely to have a heart attack or a blocked coronary artery. For reference, the likelihood of having heart disease only fell by 17 percent for the majority of candidates.

“The impact of physical activity on the brain’s stress response may be particularly relevant in people with stress-related psychiatric disorders. “This is not to say that exercise is only effective in people with depression or anxiety, but we found that these patients appear to derive greater cardiovascular benefits from physical activity,” said study lead researcher Hadil Zureigat.

Anxiety and other forms of stress can lead to inflammation, a condition that poses risks to the human circulatory system. The effects of exercise target various risk factors for people with an existing mental illness, lowering cortisol levels in their body and improving cardiovascular health while producing serotonin and improving their mood.

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It’s not easy to introduce an exercise program into your life if you don’t already have one, but it’s often recommended to start slowly and take your time to find an activity you enjoy. Just one workout session can make you feel better, but the more you commit to it, the easier it becomes to form a habit. Try exercising with friends or outdoors, signing up for sports or classes – whatever gets you accountable and getting back to your activities.