HOW SPORT CAN HELP BEAT DEPRESSION

Participation in sport of any form (team or individual) is beneficial for improving mental and physical health amongst adults. Team sports, however, may provide a very wide range of benefits to people of all ages from toddlers in pre-school to senior citizens.  Men, women, the healthy and the physically challenged no matter nationality or ethnicity should consider at least looking into the options available to them.

Many groups who gather to play sport, attend keep-fit classes, swimming, learn to dance, practise an oriental marshal art or learn circus-skills are as fully accessible as is feasible.  We have no excuses for not trying something new or re-newing an old activity – DOCTOR’S ORDERS!

How physical activity helps mental health

There are various ways that physical activity helps mental health, including:

Improved mood 

Studies show that physical activity has a positive impact on our mood, and it doesn’t have to be far or fast. ASICS’ global State of Mind study found that 15.09 minutes could be enough to lift your mood.

Another study asked people to rate their mood after a period of exercise (i.e. walking or gardening) and after inactivity (i.e. reading a book). Researchers found that people felt more awake, calmer and more content after physical activity.

Reduced stress

Being regularly active is shown to have a beneficial impact on alleviating stress. It can help manage stressful lifestyles and can help us make better decisions when under pressure.

Research on working adults shows that active people tend to have lower stress rates compared to those who are less active.

Increased self-esteem 

Physical activity has a big impact on our self-esteem – that’s how we feel about ourselves and our perceived self-worth.

This is a key indicator of mental wellbeing. People with improved self-esteem can cope better with stress and improves relationships with others.

Depression and anxiety 

Physical activity and exercise can be used to help prevent and manage mental health problems.

Many GPs and mental health services now prescribe physical activity for depression, either on its own or together with other treatments.

It’s effective at both preventing onset of depression and managing symptoms.

https://www.sportengland.org/funding-and-campaigns/mental-health

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