Studies show that physical activities help people to balance their minds. One study of The Lancet Psychiatry, showed that 43.2% of people who exercised, had fewer problems related to their mental health than those who did not exercise.
With that, we can confirm that our brain is the reflection of our body, or vice versa. If they don't work together, everything is disorganized and has a direct impact on our personal and professional lives.
After all, physical activities help with mental balance and not just physical. This is because, a person who maintains a regular exercise routine and a balanced diet increases the productivity, reducing stress levels.
Do you want to know what are the main consequences of physical inactivity for physical and mental health? In this article we will cover the subject and give tips for you to get more out of your work.
The relationship between mental health and physical activities
One research conducted by the University of California (USA), in partnership with the University of Tsukuba (Japan), indicated that 10 minutes of daily physical exercise improves our learning.
In other words, the practice of physical activity makes our brain more intelligent. Showing a clear list of how physical activities help with mental balance.
If there are good substances running through our bodies like endorphins, stimulated by physical exercises, our minds will react better and we will be more productive and effective personally and professionally speaking.
Once our body and mind work together, the tendency is for us to have a high sense of physical and mental well-being.
According to the Harvard School of Public Health, the risk of depression drops by 26% in people who practice 1 hour of walking or 15 minutes of running.
Therefore, it is noticeable that physical activities help with mental balance and increase our satisfaction and, consequently, professional performance.
The consequences of a sedentary lifestyle
One research published by The Lancet magazine pointed out that the lack of physical exercise generates a cost to the world of US $ 67.5 billion in the year.
Of this amount, the equivalent of US $ 53.8 billion, is linked to expenses in the health area and US $ 13.7 billion refers to lost productivity.
This alarming number shows how much physical activities help with mental and physical balance and that the consequences of a sedentary lifestyle are terrible for both personal and professional life.
Below we list the main impacts of a sedentary lifestyle.
- Stress;
- Lack of productivity;
- Lack of focus;
- Sleep disturbance;
- Increased cholesterol and blood pressure;
- Discouragement;
- Muscle aches;
- Obesity.
These are some of the problems that sedentary lifestyle can cause.
The main benefits of physical activity
Now that we know that physical activities help with mental and physical balance, let's learn about some of the main benefits that they can bring in everyday life.
Reduces stress level
Stressed working increases the chance of mistakes and greatly reduces the level of concentration and productivity. One of the main consequences of lack of physical activity is stress.
This theme was even addressed in our article “Employee stress: how to overcome this problem?”.
This is because the “stress hormone”, called cortisol, when it raises or lowers its levels too much due to being sedentary, influences memory lapses, weakness, learning difficulties, fatigue and we become more stressed.
Although, physical activities help in mental and physical balance, relaxing our mind and body. Thus, it is possible to have more focus on the execution of tasks and more courage to increase productivity.
Improves sleep quality
One Regus research indicated that The insomnia is one of the main factors related to stress at work. With it, professionals tend to be more irritable, less focused and prone to avoidable errors.
When it is said that physical activities help with mental balance, we can interconnect the improvement of sleep quality in a concrete way. After all, sleep is a renewer of energy and extremely necessary.
In this sense physical activities can be a support factor for sleep to be restful, because they regulate the metabolism and the functioning of the body in general.
Increases motivation and daily disposition
The disposition in the work environment makes all the difference in the results. When the team is engaged, the chances of being assertive in performing tasks are very high. As physical activities help with mental balance, they directly impact mood.
This is because the release of endorphins makes the person who practices physical activity feel a sense of well-being and relaxation. With that, the self-esteem is high and there is greater motivation to achieve the goals and objectives that lie ahead.
Prevents various diseases
The leave from work caused by various types of diseases, generated an expenditure of more than £ 15.6 billion to the Government between 2012 and 2018, according to EHIC data. This number also includes values related to sickness benefits.
These numbers could be reduced, since physical activities help in mental and physical balance.
With regular exercise, it is possible to prevent various cardiovascular diseases, cholesterol reduction, spine problems, obesity, mental disorders, muscle pain and etc..
Since physical activities manage to create a greater balance between the body and the mind. Decreasing the likelihood of disease, since the body will be in harmony.
Improves mental health
People who exercise 30 to 60 a day have fewer problems related to mental health, he said magazine study The Lancet Psychiatry.
That is, it is possible to affirm once again that physical activities help in mental balance. Symptoms such as stress, anxiety, lack of concentration and even attention deficit and depression can be minimized.
This because of all the benefits that physical exercises release to our body contribute to the greater balance of our mind, reducing the levels of tension and overload of our mind.
So we have greater ability to deal with problems and increase our focus for good and not bad things, even by reducing stress.
Examples of exercises
The big secret of regular physical exercise is to choose something that you like and that gives you pleasure. We have selected some options below that can help you in your physical and mental balance.
- Walk;
- Dance;
- Yoga;
- Pilates;
- Water aerobics;
- Swimming;
- Functional training;
- Cycling.
Evidence points to the benefits of physical activity
As we present in this text, there is theoretical and practical evidence that physical activities help in the mental and physical balance of people. As a result, there is a direct impact on the personal as well as the professional.
Those who exercise regularly find it easier to control their body and mind, reducing stress rates and increasing the satisfaction and disposition. Through this, there is a reduction in stress, an increase in focus and productivity.
Therefore, well-being and mental health depend on an action of our body that reacts negatively, when there is a sedentary lifestyle, and positively, when there is the practice of physical exercises.
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