Sports basically have many benefits for physical health, but not only that, the benefits of sports can also maintain mental health. Some routine sports activities that are often done can reduce stress levels and can improve brain function.
Of course, not only with regular exercise, mental and physical health will also be maintained by implementing a balanced healthy lifestyle. Such as maintaining a diet, a healthy lifestyle by avoiding alcoholic beverages and not smoking, and a positive environment.
There are several parts of the brain that benefit from regular sports activities that will also affect mental health, namely the limbic system which functions to control mood, behaviour and memory. The amygdala, which is the main emotional processing center, which is damaged will affect feelings of anxiety and confusion. And the hippocampus which can form long-term memory.
The body will release neurotransmitters and several other hormones such as serotonin, dopamine and endorphins. Serotonin is useful for improving mood and sleep quality, dopamine is useful for improving mood, and endorphins are useful for reducing pain and helping to increase feelings of joy or euphoria.
Here are the benefits of regular exercise to maintain mental health
Stress is Reduced
Regular exercise greatly affects a person’s stress level because by exercising the body not only releases happy hormones but can reduce the production of the hormone cortisol which increases due to stress.
With reduced stress due to regular exercise, the body will produce more norepinephrine hormones because the quality of the heartbeat also functions well so that it can maintain a more stable mood.
Overcoming anxiety and depression
Anxiety and depression are closely related, but with exercise both symptoms can be overcome well. There are several sports that can help relieve symptoms of anxiety and depression because with exercise the body releases more endorphins and diverts your attention and thoughts from excessive worry or anxiety.
It is better to exercise in the morning so that you can get enough sunlight, because morning sunlight can increase vitamin D levels which reduce and reduce the risk of depression and keep the body healthier and fitter.
Sleep Becomes Better Quality
Another benefit is that by exercising, sleep becomes better quality and several other sleep problems such as insomnia and irregular sleep patterns will be overcome. Exercise helps lower body temperature, triggering a feeling of drowsiness.
It is best to avoid doing sports activities at night, especially before bedtime because the body’s temperature and metabolism are increasing after exercising, this will make a person more awake. The right time to improve sleep quality is in the morning and evening.
More Confident
Exercise has an important influence on self-confidence because with regular exercise, it will make your weight more ideal and your self-confidence will also increase.
Several types of sports can also improve a person’s ability to socialize and work together in a team such as basketball, soccer, and volleyball. The ability to socialize and also a good language style can also increase self-confidence because people will pay more attention to how we communicate with others.
Increased Brain Function
In the brain there is a substance called BDNF (Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor), a substance that can improve brain function that is formed due to regular exercise.BDNF functions to form new brain cells so that it can increase concentration and the brain’s absorption in processing information.