Emotional Needs and Exercise

Emotional needs and exercise

Exercise Enhances One’s Emotional Requirements

Emotional needs and support have become a crucial part of our health, especially during the COVID19 pandemic. While exercise is usually associated with physical benefits to the body, exercise also greatly benefits one’s emotional needs. Below are different ways that exercise enhances one’s emotional requirements.

Reduces stress: Exercise helps reduce mental and physical stress on the body. While reducing stress hormones, exercise stimulates the production of endorphins that can promote relaxation and increase happiness.

Benefits of Exercise

Better Sleep: Physical exercise can be exhausting to the body requiring it to need rest. Exercise allows the mind to decompress making it easier to fall asleep, as well as physical body changes such as change in body temperature that enables sleepiness. When we sleep, the body is able to recover physically and mentally, also increasing our energy levels. Blood flow in our body’s increases when we exercise which helps carry oxygen and nutrients to our body. Increased energy allows us to be more productive in our daily life.

Decrease in Depression: Because of the release of endorphins in the body it produces a sense of well-being, allowing for a person to be in a better mood.

Reduces Anxiety: Exercise increases the release of serotonin, GABA, and other anti-anxiety neurochemicals. Increased exercise activity allows your mind to focus on your breathing, rather than the object of one’s anxiety.

Increased Cognitive Function: Regular exercise can impact the part of the brain that controls memory, also known as the hippocampus. As we age, this part of our brain decreases, but with exercise we can help stay focused and retain more information.

Exercise has great benefits overall for one’s physical and mental health. Residing here at Lakeside Manor allows residents to have access to exercise classes with our Activity Director.


If you or your loved ones are experiencing issues with mental health, please contact your physician for further assessment and treatment.
References:  www.healthline.com, www.cdc.gov, www.mayoclinic.com