We have all heard a million times how important exercise is for our physical health, but what about our mental well-being? The connection between the mind and body is very strong, and exercise has been shown to be a huge factor in taking care of our mental health.
As a physician leader, scientist, and editor-in-chief of the world-renowned scientific journal, Molecular Psychiatry, Julio Licinio is renowned for his research in the field of psychiatry. Today he shares 4 tips on how to exercise for your mental health.
- Start where you are. People should aim to get 150 minutes of exercise per week. However, if your mental health isn’t good, it can be a real challenge to reach that. If you aren’t doing exercise at all now, any amount of exercise is better than nothing.
- Don’t be too hard on yourself. You don’t have to go from 0-100 right away. If all you can manage is a short walk, do it, and be proud of yourself for it.
- Find something that gets you into nature. Nature and exercise both improve mental health and combining them can give you an extra boost! Even if you live in a city, take a walk around a local park or make it an adventure to find small bits of nature in the city.
- Try different forms of exercise until you find something you enjoy. Most people will end up falling out of an exercise routine unless they enjoy it. Plus, trying new things in itself will help your mental health because the brain craves novel experiences.
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