You may hear that the gym is therapy in of itself. Let's dive into this. I'm going to state "at the gym", but for you this may be running outdoors or swimming at a pool or something else. It's just phrasing.
Focus
At the gym you have the benefit of focusing on your current actions. You don't have to worry about anything else while you are working out. This can allow the brain to take a break from the daily bullshit.
Control
When you go to the gym, no matter how long or short you are there, you are in control of what you do. Many people feel like life slips through their fingers often, so when you have the opportunity to control something you feel accomplished. You control your actions, weights used, activities performed, etc.
Accomplishment
You may be feeling at your worst due to something in your life. You may be depressed or in a rut or just between jobs. To turn this around you need to feel accomplished. Let's say that jobs were cut at work, leaving you looking for work. Hit the gym for an hour. You'll feel better physically and mentally. The feeling of accomplishing just one thing can get you motivated to tackle the next thing, such as applying to a few jobs. Additionally, accomplishment will be felt when you make progress. Maybe you're a little faster with a run or go up 5lbs on the dumbbells for bicep curls. It's progress.
The Brain Thrives
The brain loves exercise. Exercise helps to modulate neurotransmitters (dopamine, noradrenaline, and serotonin) to help work against neurological disorders. A moderate, consistent exercise regime has been shown to enhance the central nervous system, allowing it to adapt and recover. If you don't have any particular disorders, you can still benefit by using exercise time to work though problems, find inspiration, and find positivity from your active lifestyle.
Better Mood
Exercise has been shown, through a lot of studies, to improve mood. This means that if you are feeling depressed or have big mood swings, regular exercise can absolutely assist your daily life. It can help short term and long term mood issues.
Healthy Competition
Regardless of what activity you decide upon, a sense of healthy competition usually arises. This can be with yourself or with others. It usually makes us want to do better in some way. Perhaps we want to push ourselves to lift heavier, have a faster lap swim time, fumble less with dance routines, run faster than your friend, be a better teammate on a local sports team, or increase your flexibility at yoga class. Healthy competition will also encourage good sportsmanship. Good sportsmanship allows you to be humble, lose gracefully at a team sport, encourage yourself and those around you, and be willing to assist others, if needed.
References
Berman, R. (2023, March 3). Is exercise more effective than medication for depression and anxiety?. Medical News Today. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/is-exercise-more-effective-than-medication-for-depression-and-anxiety
Harvard Health Publishing. (2021, February 2). Exercise is an all-natural treatment to fight depression. https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/exercise-is-an-all-natural-treatment-to-fight-depression
Lin, T. W., & Kuo, Y. M. (2013). Exercise benefits brain function: the monoamine connection. Brain sciences, 3(1), 39–53. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci3010039
Mahindru, A., Patil, P., & Agrawal, V. (2023). Role of Physical Activity on Mental Health and Well-Being: A Review. Cureus, 15(1), e33475. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.33475
Weir, K. (2011, December 1). The exercise effect. Monitor on Psychology, 42(11). https://www.apa.org/monitor/2011/12/exercise
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