Why should you exercise?

Sport has been recommended for many years for its health benefits. But how can sport help us improve our mental well-being?

Why should you exercise?  8 psychological benefits of sport

Sport is recommended not only because it is beneficial for physical health , in particular by preventing the development of cardiovascular diseases, but also because practicing sport allows you to regain true psychological balance. But how can practicing sport help our mental health?

The benefits of sport

Sport has many benefits , which is why several studies have shown that regular exercise can reduce anxiety and therefore treat depression. Sport also reduces the risk of depression. Many top athletes got into sport after a duel, an accident or a difficult test. Sport would therefore be a way to rebuild oneself and continue to move forward. Scientists have shown that practicing a sport allows you to develop a certain self-control and also to gain inself-confidence.

Practicing sport is recommended at all ages; in children it helps develop sociability skills. It also allows them to meet their need to move, which results in greater attention and concentration in class. In adults, sport helps fight insomnia and depression. In addition, in older people, sport acts on the brain, preserving cognitive abilities and thus delaying the onset of diseases.

The benefits linked to the practice of sport are due to the fact that it leads to the production of differenttypes of hormones, such as endorphins and dopamine. Endorphins, also called happiness hormones, have euphoric properties, they increase the pain threshold. Sports that require endurance such as swimming, running or cycling are those that involve the production of this hormone. The concentration of endorphins is multiplied by 4 or 5 after the sports session which must last at least 30 minutes. his hormone also helps limit the feeling of fatigue.

On the other hand, dopamine is a neurotransmitter that provides a feeling of pleasure. In fact, this is the reason why sport is recommended for people who want to quit smoking, in fact, this hormone would replace the pleasure felt when smoking. Dopamine also plays a key role in motivation because it increases attention and reduces the feeling of fatigue. Considering all this, we can highlight the following benefits of sport for our health:

Reduces stress: Exercise helps reduce body hormones.stress, including cortisol. As we mentioned, it also helps increase endorphins, that is, many substances that allow greater mental well-being because they are linked to a better state of mind.

Relieves negative thoughts and emotions: Exercising regularly can distract our mind from problems, resulting in control ofNegative thoughts.

Promotes our confidence and self-esteem: Exercise can help us lose weight, tone the body and keep us in better physical shape. Plus, when you do it, you may feel better because it improves your mood. All of these effects can help you improve your confidence and therefore also your self-esteem.

Improve relationships: Many physical activities can also help us improve our social relationships with others. In fact, playing a team sport or taking classes with other people can make you feel more connected to others or even expand your group of friends.                                                       sport has many advantages

Improved mental well-being: Although stress can cause illness, physical illness can also increase our stress. Therefore, another of the benefits of sport is that it improves our health in general, creating greater well-being in all aspects.