There is one therapy that can you help ward off addictions, depression, stress, anxiety and even Alzheimer's, all the while keeping you strong, slim and feeling great. That mental-health "treatment" is of course a proper exercise program. Research reveals that exercise supports the intimate connection between the health of the body and that of the mind. Since exercise is the body's key method of staying healthy it also appears to be crucial to mental health as well.



Our busy lives don't come without stress which is just a build up of inactivity, of over thinking without release. Modern life has us performing constant intellectual thinking tasks and we need a reprieve from these. Proper exercise is the tool that will give you that release stimulating a healthy release of the body's natural chemicals that have a soothing and calming effect.

If this stress is not dissipated thinking becomes disordered leading to "stinking thinking" which can then lead on to depression. These bad negative thoughts can soon be chased completely away with a good solid exercise session. Mood is quickly improved and the risk of becoming depressed is lessened.

The time spent on your exercise session is also a bit of "me" time. This can provide a time for reflection and some alone time to contemplate thoughts or problems. It can be a special time to re-center yourself and get in touch with the real you which tends to be put aside and lost in the busyness of our lives. You will feel more in control of your life.

Exercise will get you active in a productive manner which the human body is dependant on to be able to stay healthy and well. The brain will send out the good chemicals signaling a happy pleasant state of mind both during and after the exercise session. This will set you up for the day enabling you to deal more effectively with problems or challenges that otherwise might have caused you significant levels of stress.

The brain is the "muscle" of conscious intelligence and just like the muscles in the rest of the body develops and gains strength during youth. As we get older we can maintain the strength of our brain or we can allow it to degenerate and become weaker diminishing its capability and thinking power.

Your exercise program needs to contain at least 60% strength training exercise and is an important factor in maintaining mental fitness. When you exercise and raise your heart rate this increases blood flow to the brain which in turn leads to enhanced memory, and better intellectual capacity and mental function.

Another important benefit you will experience is that you will feel so much happier within yourself; which could be defined as an inner sense of well-being. This will in turn give you a better outlook on life, seeing your cup as half full rather than half empty. If you are not already appreciating all of the good things in your life then you just might start.

If you have previously been living a no exercise lifestyle you will feel a huge boost in your energy levels. Exercise gets your blood pumping, pushing life giving oxygen into every cell and system keeping you youthful and vibrant. There is nothing worse than a sedentary lifestyle to make you feel tired, apathetic and listless with low motivation levels. You simply don't feel like being active.

Learn to lean on your exercise program to pull you up and out of this situation if necessary. Think of it as a tool to move you beyond life's challenges and make it part of your mission for better health and well-being.