How Prioritizing Physical Health Enhances Mental Health - Crossroads Health

Prioritizing Physical Health Enhances Mental Health

Keeping your body in good condition is critical. You need to maintain a healthy weight and strong muscles, bones, and joints. In addition, well-functioning internal organs and systems result from prioritizing your physical health. 

Beyond the physical benefits of taking care of your body, have you paid enough attention to the mental health benefits? There’s a powerful link between good physical health and strong mental well-being.

Let’s explore the connection in more detail and how you can stay on top of physical health to reap the benefits of this relationship.

Taking Care of Your Body Leads to Better Mental Health

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, approximately 1 in 5 U.S. adults lives with a mental illness. No matter the mental health issue, it can negatively affect your quality of life and how you think and feel about yourself if neglected.

So, it’s no wonder so many of us are looking for ways to better understand mental health struggles and how to strengthen our minds. If you’ve yet to consider the relationship between physical and mental health, that’s where you should look for answers next.

When you take care of your body, it can lead to better mental health.

Lower stress

Stress affects all of us at some point in our lives. Many people deal with prolonged, constant feelings of stress that lead to health issues like:

• Burnout
• Insomnia
• Diabetes
• Depression
• Heart disease
• Anxiety disorders
• A weakened immune system

Regular physical activity can break the cycle of chronic stress. It releases endorphins in the brain, helping you relax your muscles and relieve tension in your body. Exercise can also distract you from what’s stressing you out, giving you a chance to interrupt negative thought patterns and behaviors that exacerbate stress.

Take spending time in nature, for example. You can get your blood pumping and muscles moving with a nature walk. On top of that, the sounds and beauty of nature are proven to alleviate depression and anxiety symptoms and help you become more grounded and less stressed.

Improve cognitive function

If you want your mind to work better, move more. Physical activity can improve your cognitive function in various ways.

For instance, when you work out, it increases blood flow and oxygen to the brain. This helps the growth and survival of your brain cells. In addition, physical activity helps prevent cognitive decline because it preserves the volume and function of the part of your brain responsible for memory and spatial navigation.

Exercise reduces inflammation and oxidative stress on the brain too, improving your ability to think, learn, and focus.

Get better sleep

One of the best things you can do for your mental health is to sleep well. This is the time when the systems that help you regulate your emotions, process memories and thoughts, concentrate, and connect with others, have time to repair and recharge.

Without a good night’s sleep every night, you put your mental health and cognitive abilities at risk. Your mood and energy levels hang in the balance as well.

Fortunately, physical activity promotes better sleep. It reduces stress and anxiety so these things don’t keep you up at night. You also fall asleep faster, get deeper sleep, and spend more time in those restful sleep phases.

Promote a sense of self-worth and confidence

When you take good care of your body, you can see it and so can other people. When you see the results from working out, it boosts your confidence and self-esteem, both of which are vital components of mental health.

Think beyond exercise when it comes to your physical health too. For example, engaging in a consistent skincare routine does wonders for your skin health and your mental health. Your skin remains strong enough to fight off free radicals. People compliment your glow and your confidence goes through the roof.

In addition, when you cleanse, tone, moisturize, and do whatever else you do in your skincare routine, it supports a multi-sensory experience that communicates love, care, and appreciation to your body through touch, affirmations, and adoration.

Tips for Staying on Top of Your Physical Health

Now you know that taking care of your body does just as much for your mental health as it does for your physical health. We know that staying on top of your physical health can be hard when you have a lot of responsibilities. But you can do it with intention and creativity.

Start with a commitment to regular physical activity. Signing up for a nearby gym and working with a personal trainer to stay consistent is a great option.

Or, you can make working out more comfortable and accessible by turning your garage into a home gym. There are some steps to getting your home gym up and running, like:

• Decluttering and cleaning your garage first
• Determining the layout you have to work with
• Installing flooring that is suitable for exercising
• Adding insulation and a heating and cooling system
• Installing good lighting and storage solutions
• Buying affordable, reliable equipment
• Adding your personal touch to your gym so you’re always motivated and excited to be there

These steps don’t have to be completed in a day. Make turning your garage into a home gym an ongoing project on a reasonable timeline so that you aren’t overwhelmed.

Aside from getting regular physical activity, make sure you’re eating right. What you eat directly impacts your internal functions and the results you get from working out. Nutritious food choices can also support a good mood, increased energy, and cognitive function.

Finally, go to all of your appointments with your primary care physician to discuss any health issues and your ongoing plan for maintaining your health. Take your medications and get your suggested vaccines. Take care of your dental and visual health as well.

It takes work to take good care of your body. But it’s worth the effort for how good your physical and mental health will be.

Guest post by Luke Smith