Working Out For Mental Health – Big Benefits
Introduction
In this article I am going to discuss the big benefits of working out for mental health. This is an often overlooked aspect of lifting weights and going to the gym, but one that is very important. In society today there are many people who are suffering from poor mental health. The COVID pandemic has exacerbated this mental health crisis further and as a result overall mental health has declined. Working out regularly has incredible benefits as it pertains to mental health and I will cover all of these in this article.
Achieving Goals And Making Progress
As humans we are driven by the need to be making progress and having purpose in our lives. Sometimes progress in other areas can stall in our lives as there are things that we cannot control. One great thing about working out is we are fully in control. The gym never changes, 100kg on the bar will always be 100kg. No external force can ever change this, as a result the gym is a place where we have full control over the process of achieving goals and making progress.
Making progress makes us feel good and contributes to better mental health, as we see our lifts in the gym slowly increase and see positive changes in our body composition and muscles this further increases our motivation and sense of wellbeing. This is also the reason why many people start lifting weights in the first place, they may be low on confidence and want to feel better about themselves. Working out certainly provides all those benefits and therefore it truly is an important component in improving mental health.
A Sense Of Community
One of the great things about working out is the sense of belonging that you get from being part of a group. It is one of the fundamental needs of human beings, to feel accepted and part of a group and something bigger than just themselves. The gym is a place where lots of like minded people can gather, it is a great place for forging friendships for life and bonding with others. The bonds also increase our well being, interaction with others is important for mental health. The more isolated a person is the worse their mental health can get, especially if this isolation occurs over a long period of time.
Whilst the gym is not the same as a bar or pub in terms of the level of social interaction taking place, there is still meaningful interactions being made. We are all there for the main purpose of working out and improving ourselves physically and mentally. However if you have training partners that are there for you and other strong friendships in the gym, it can enhance your overall satisfaction and mental health. It is similar to the effect a good romantic partner can have on your happiness and mental health. Strong bonds and friendships that lift you up definitely contribute to a happier person. The gym is a great place to forge these friendships.
Dopamine Hit
The release of dopamine is another powerful component in combatting depression and improving mental health. Dopamine hits can come in many different forms. Some people get a dopamine hit from solving a hard puzzle, others from porn, fast food, sex, etc. However, it is far better to choose positive activities as a means of getting your dopamine hit. Choosing to engage in negative activities like watching porn and eating lots of junk food will lead to destructive effects in your life.
Working out is one of the most positive things you can do for yourself both physically and mentally. It leads to increased discipline and mental toughness as you have to put yourself through gruelling workouts on a regular basis. There is a lot of suffering involved in achieving a great physique that you can be proud of. The dopamine hit that you get from this activity makes you want to repeat the activity again and again. It also makes you feel good and less depressed, therefore improving your mental health.
Dopamine hits from positive activities that will improve your life in some way are the most effective at improving mental health. This is because those positive activities will be repeated and doing positive things repeatedly will enhance your life exponentially over time. This ultimately leads to happiness and will reduce your depression. Very often depression can come as a result of your life not being the way that you want it to be. If you are able to improve your life by engaging in positive activities, putting one step in front of the other and allowing your efforts to compound then this is the best way of curing depression completely.
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Conclusion
To conclude, in this article I have talked about working out for mental health and how it plays such an important role in lowering depression and improving mental health. It is a great way to make progress and feel better about your body and yourself by extension. Your confidence will get better and this will then transfer into all aspects of your life – from work and relationships, etc. It doesn’t always transfer fully but the increased confidence will certainly benefit you in all aspects of your life.
In addition, feeling part of a community of like minded people will serve a great purpose in improving your own fulfillment. It gives you the chance to forge strong friendships for life and make bonds with people that can never be broken. This aspect of working out and the gym is one of the best. Having training partners that are there for you in every workout and also there for you outside the gym is priceless.
Finally, working out is an extremely positive activity and the dopamine hit that you get from it will make you feel good. You will then repeat the activity again and again and feel better. Over time the benefits of working out compound exponentially and you will get to a place where your mental health is in a very good place. I firmly believe in fitness and working out and think it is a great cure for so many diseases and problems in life.
If you have any questions about anything I have written in this article please leave them in the comments. Let me know the friendships you have forged in the gym and the progress you have made. As always, enjoy your training and stay safe!
