Poor mental health can rob us of much more than our ability to think and feel clearly. It also takes a toll on us physically. This aspect of mental health is often overlooked, and this creates a hindrance for many people to feel the full effects and benefits of their mental health recovery. The good news is that finding a healthy balance of exercise will help to bring those benefits front and center.
The Benefits of Exercise for Overall Well-Being
There is little argument that exercise promotes overall well-being. Primarily, there is a focus on what it does for the physical body. It helps with cardiovascular health, reduces the potential for obesity and diabetes, and increases essential bone strength.
It also has many cognitive-specific benefits. According to the peer-reviewed journal Frontiers in Psychology, “Many evidences demonstrated that physical exercise (PE) affects brain plasticity, influencing cognition and wellbeing. In fact, experimental and clinical studies have reported that PE induces structural and functional changes in the brain, determining enormous biological, and psychological benefits.”
Physical exercise also offers a myriad of other benefits. For example, according to the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, “Sport and exercise are known to be long-term beneficial to physical and mental health and the overall well-being of both individuals and society as a whole. During physical activity, hormones are released, and other physiological processes occur, leading to an overall improvement in mental health, and improving sleep quality.”
Creating a Healthy Life Balance With Exercise
However, while physical exercise can be crucial for maintaining a healthy lifestyle, it is important to make sure that exercise is balanced with other activities. If it is not, it can lead to something known as “overexercise” or “exercise addiction.” According to the peer-reviewed journal Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience, “Exercise addiction (EA) is a dysfunctional behavior characterized by exaggerated training, loss of control over exercise behavior, and negative life consequences that could be physical, psychological or social, or a combination of the three.”
Exercise addiction is relatively common in people in recovery (both from issues of addiction and mental illness). This is because many people in recovery look to fill a “void” that may exist once they have recovered. Exercise can quickly fill this void, and because it often shows quick results, it can overtake the rest of an individual’s recovery plan. This is why finding a healthy balance of exercise for lasting mental health can be so vital.
Finding a Healthy Balance of Exercise for Lasting Mental Health Recovery
The good news is that finding a healthy exercise balance in recovery is readily available. The key is to work with mental health recovery professionals to create this balance.
For lasting mental health recovery, it is also important to incorporate variety in an exercise program. This includes variety in activities, as well as variety in settings. For example, exercising in nature can be highly beneficial.
Mental Health Recovery, Exercise, and Nature
To create a healthy exercise balance, it is important to pick environments that are going to be uplifting. This includes healthy blue spaces (for water activities) and green spaces (such as hiking outdoors).
Exercising in nature offers many benefits for lasting mental health recovery. According to the National Park Service, “5 minutes walking in nature improves mood, self-esteem, and relaxation. Frequent exposure to nature reduces anxiety and depression, while promoting a sense of well-being and fulfillment.” Also, “Physical activity in a green space can improve cognitive control, short and long-term memory and overall brain function.”
Mental Health Recovery and Yoga
Changing the type of exercise that one engages in can also be highly beneficial. Yoga is an ideal example of a form of fitness that can be incorporated into a recovery plan.
Yoga also offers many benefits for physical, emotional, and mental health. According to the International Journal of Yoga (IJOY), “Yogic practices enhance muscular strength and body flexibility, promote and improve respiratory and cardiovascular function, promote recovery from and treatment of addiction, reduce stress, anxiety, depression, and chronic pain, improve sleep patterns, and enhance overall well-being and quality of life.”
A Focus on Long-Term Success at Rancho Recovery
Here at Rancho Recovery, we have a focus on long-term success rather than short-term fixes. We also focus on recovery plans that include whole mind-body-soul healing.
Considered by many to be the father of Western medicine, Hippocrates said, “If we could give every individual the right amount of nourishment and exercise, not too little and not too much, we would have found the safest way to health.” This is what finding balance in recovery is all about.
At Rancho Recovery, we have the setting, professionals, and modalities to ensure that recovery is not only possible but probable. Recovery is just over the horizon. The key is to go out and get it.
Physical exercise can be a critical component of a healthy recovery. However, while exercise is helpful in recovery, finding a balance and not over-exercising is important in managing one’s stress and health. Finding this balance can also be essential for maintaining long-term recovery. If you feel like you or a loved one are struggling with issues of mental illness, addiction, or both, we can help get you on the positive path toward long-term recovery right away. You don’t have to do this alone. For more information about how to recover and create a balance in one’s life while doing so, please reach out to Rancho Recovery today at (877) 484-1447.