Everyone knows that exercise is good for your physical health. Improving your fitness, benefitting your general health, and keeping your weight in check are all proven pluses to working out. But did you know that exercise can help your mental health too? In fact, exercise can make a huge difference to your mental health is a whole range of different ways — and can particularly help people struggling with anxiety and stress. In this post, we’ll be looking at what exercise can do for your mental health and exploring the many positive benefits that getting active can have. Related: Ten Ways to Stay Active as We Age   1. Exercise releases “feel-good” chemicals in your body One of the main reasons people cite exercise as being good for your mental health is because it releases “feel-good” chemicals in your body — improving your mood and overall happiness. You’ve probably heard of them: endorphins. It’s not just endorphins that physical activity stimulates the release of either —  serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine are all also released when you do exercise. Each of these brain chemicals (known as neurotransmitters) plays an important part in regulating your mood and boosting your overall wellbeing. As well as helping you to feel happy, energized, and motivated, these neurotransmitters can help to alleviate the feelings and symptoms associated with anxiety and depression.   2. Exercise promotes mindfulness Exercise can help to promote mindfulness; increasing your ability to be fully present in the moment, rather than zoning out or letting your mind wander. If you’re regularly feeling overwhelmed by everything around you and your own thoughts, then mindfulness can have a positive influence on your mental health. Exercise can help you to achieve this mindfulness. Concentrate on how your body feels and the rhythm of your movements as you exercise — the movement of breath in and out of your body. Think of regular activity as an investment in your mind, body, and soul: by being truly present in the physical sensations in your body, you can achieve a zen-like mindset which will benefit your mental health. By practicing these techniques, you’ll find yourself focusing on the task at hand, rather than getting distracted by worries and negative thoughts. You might not realize it right away, but a repetitive exercise that you can lose yourself in — like swimming or run — will promote feelings of calmness within you.   3. It relieves the physical symptoms of stress & other issues If you have ever suffered from stress or a similar type of poor mental health, you’ll know that these problems don’t just manifest themselves in how you feel or think; they impact your body and physical fitness too. For example, if you are feeling stressed or anxious, you will find that your muscles are often extremely tight, leaving you feeling tense, achy and painful. These feelings can affect your neck, back, shoulders and give you tension headaches. They may cause stomach problems, [...]