With over 17% of Americans
admitting to suffering from depression and anxiety each year, it is likely that you or someone you know may currently be dealing
with the struggle.
If you’ve ever experienced
either of these issues, you know the pain of carrying around a heavy burden
that doesn’t easily go away.
Unlike a simple case of bad
day blues that can be cured with a hot bath, a chat with a good friend, and a
glass of wine, true depression sinks deep into your inner being and drags you
down. While anxiety forces you to hold
unreasonable expectations that are almost impossible to come to achieve.
When you feel at your
absolute lowest, it becomes harder and harder to find the motivation and
strength to get up in the morning, let alone maintain a fitness routine. It is at these points when taking care of your
health and fitness is the best, most crucial thing you can do to restore
balance and vibrance back into life.
The body, mind, and spirit
are not separate entities, and if one of them slips out of balance, the others
will follow.
By implementing regular
exercise into their lifestyle, depressed and anxious individuals can
significantly alleviate symptoms and experience long-lasting relief. Research supports that regular structured
exercise relieves depressive and anxious feelings by releasing endorphins that
combat these difficult issues. When
paired with the guidance of a qualified medical professional, exercise can
provide the structure necessary to decrease negative symptoms and improve
overall quality of life.
And the good news is that all
sorts of exercise modalities are beneficial for combatting these challenges—
whether you prefer walking, jogging, running, yoga, lifting weights, or
anything else, if you’re moving your body regularly, you are on the right
track.
If your lifestyle is
currently more sedentary, then introducing 20 minutes of exercise at least 3
times per week can trigger a significant improvement in alleviating depression.
Once you are more comfortable with exercise, you can increase to
30 minutes or more for 5-7 days per week.
Just 20-30 minutes a day —
that is all it takes to BEGIN the journey toward improvement.
Just think of all the things
you spend 20-30 minutes doing, and be honest with yourself — is your overall
health and well-being important enough to dedicate 20-30 minutes of your time to caring for yourself?
Hopefully the answer is a
resounding YES — you ARE worth it!
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