Is Exercising Regularly The Key To Better Mental Health?

All of us go through some experiences in life where we feel mentally drained out. The negative emotions and feelings generated by these experiences can stay with us for a long time afterwards and make us feel overtly emotional, weak, and stupid or even unworthy. One way to deal with this emotional baggage is to acknowledge it and take responsibility for it. The idea here is that sharing difficult experiences and the feelings generated by them will allow you to acknowledge them to another person and therefore more easily come into terms with them.

Another way is to move the Body. Our Body is based on relation; our physiology and biology needs to move to regenerate. As much movement is needed, as much stillness is also needed. Activity and passivity are two opposites which make us grow relax, recover, restore. Coming to the part of breathing, oxygenation. Oxygenation is very important because fresh air and a well oxygenated body, lungs filed with oxygen ensure cheer, joy, energy. Energy translated into elevated mood also when you stretch, bend, limber, contract, work against the gravity and with the gravity use the forces of acceleration, deceleration, dimensions, obviously our body gets stimulated, our mental awareness gets heightened our reflexes our responses get heightened and this heightened state is heightened state of cheer, joy, positivity, creativity, productivity. Energy directly translates into creativity and productivity also. So regular exercises is very good, but also remember we need to recover from these exercises – so rest, massages, meditation and recreation is good. Probably the word recreation comes from RE-CREATION, the etymology of RECREATION means we need to recreate our minds, recreate our body with fun and joyful activity like singing, dancing, laughing, painting, poetry, playing music or just sitting with friends- family and having good time, hugging your parents taking blessings from them could also be recreational.

Sleep could be recreational as well.

Workouts are for your mental health because workouts release of hormones which uplift you, uplift your environment, surroundings your within and without. So taking sunshine and working out is good. Working out in open is good, listening to chirping of the birds and basking in the sun is exceptionally good. Using the props outside like the trees, benches, pavements, working out near water body is good. So combination of soft, gentle jogging and twisting, turning, bending, calisthenics, functional training, weight training, followed by Yoga, to exercise your core very good for your mental health and most important hugging yourself Double pavan muktasasna – as you breathe out.

When you breathe in and breathe out and do these 12 steps of surya namaskar your body mind and spirit get integrated, if you do it with full attention in the Now with deep compassion and devotion. This translates into a great psychological and emotional well-being surge.

Some other yogic asanas to boost mental health can be as follows:

Sukhasana (Happy / Relaxed Pose): This yoga pose elongates your spine and opens up your hip muscles. The pose has a calming effect, bringing down anxiety, and mental and physical exhaustion.

Balasana (Child's Pose): A great pose for your lymphatic and nervous system, Balasana calms the mind by releasing stress. It stretches the muscles of the thighs, hips and ankles; and is also good for getting relief from backaches and neck pains.

Paschimottanasana (Seated forward bend): This exercise is great for stretching the muscles of the entire back and hamstrings. Besides busting stress and fatigue, it bolsters digestion and liver function; and alleviates PMS symptoms. Paschimottanasana can improve digestion and liver function.

Ananda Balasana (Happy Baby Pose): Another good exercise for getting rid of fatigue and stress, the Happy Baby Pose stretches out your spine and groin muscles gently and effectively.

Uttanasana (Standing forward bend): Besides having a soothing effect on the brain, the Uttanasana vitalizes the kidneys and liver. It is also good for your lower body muscles such as hips, knees, hamstrings and calves.

Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose): The Bhujangasana stretches your chest and shoulder muscles. It gives instant relief from lower back pain and fatigue. You feel refreshed and energized. Cobra pose can help improve back pain.
It also strengthens the entire spinal column and makes it flexible. Further, this pose assists in reducing abdominal fat.

With Yoga, one can promote overall wellness, health, fitness, and well-being.

Whenever you plan to get into a good activity and full of energy and wish to have fuel for the same, to fire up your mind and emotions you can have a jaggery water, with little bit of rock salt and lemon juice inside and keep sipping while you exercise, it will also serve as good electrolytes.

Then Pranayama, where left and right nostril helps in balancing your brain activities as well. Working out neutralizes all your negative emotions, physical knots and tensions, neutralizes your mental stress.

So workouts get you optimized, Breathing gets you Maximized, and Meditation get you Mickeymized!!!

Published on: Sunday, June 22, 2025, 07:00 AM IST