The Connection Between Fitness and Mental Health
Taking care of yourself and your mental health continues to be at the forefront of priorities in 2022, especially with the increase in mental health symptoms noted since the start of the pandemic1. Exercise has been shown to reduce depressive symptoms and prevent symptoms from forming2. It also has a strong correlation to preventing cognitive decline3. Exercise can reduce inflammation through various mechanisms/pathways and positively affect mental health and well-being4, among many other positive benefits. Now more than ever, it is important to take care of your mental health and prioritize it. Our bodies are designed to move, and as shown previously, it has a direct correlation to mental well-being. A relatively “easy” way to do that is through exercise.
3 Ways to Make Your Walk a Workout
Walking is a great activity to boost health, mood, and even keep you alive. It has even been coined “the 6th vital sign” as walking speed can correlate with functional ability, balance confidence, future health status, risk of hospitalization, discharge location, and mortality. To read further on other benefits of walking, see our previous blog on the 6 Health Benefits of Walking.
Sticking with your New Year’s Resolutions
As another year comes to a close, this is a great time to reflect on what we have accomplished in the last year and how we can improve ourselves moving forward. Many people use the beginning of a new year to begin working on a new self. One of the most common New Year’s resolutions people make is to work out more, lose weight, and be healthier overall. (more…)
