Mental exercise is important because it helps determine how those new neurons are used-and how long they survive. Stress can reduce both the creation of new neurons and their lifetime, so stress management is important too.
1. Why is it so important to exercise our brains?
Our brains are composed of different areas and functions, and we can strengthen them through mental exercise- or they get atrophied for lack of practice. The benefits are both short-term (improved concentration and memory, sustained mental clarity under stressful situations…), and long-term (creation of a “brain reserve” that help protect us against potential problems )
Factors that can affect your mental health.
1)"Loneliness is feeling sad about being by yourself, particularly over a long period of time. Isolation is being separated from other people and your environment.
Benefits of regular physical activity.
2)Grief is a natural response to loss.
3)Domestic and family violence is when you feel unsafe, powerless or afraid due to the actions of someone close to you. According to Lifeline, domestic and family violence behaviour can include.
4)Bullying is when a person is repeatedly and intentionally subjected to verbal, physical and/or social behaviour that causes physical and/or psychological harm.
5)Unemployment, redundancy, loss of a business, large investment losses or other financial loss can have a negative impact on your mental health.
6)A good night’s sleep is essential to our mental and physical health and wellbeing. A lack of sleep can have a major impact on our mood, concentration, memory and quality of life.Good quality sleep is about the amount of ‘deep sleep’ a person gets, not the length of sleep.
7) Stages of life
There are times across your life when you are more vulnerable to experiencing mental health issues. These times are related to major changes in your life or when you are transitioning from one stage of life to another, which may place extra stress on you.
8)During difficult times in life, people sometimes turn to alcohol or other drugs to help them cope. There is a strong link between alcohol and other drug use and mental health issues.
Alcohol and other drug use can impact your mental health in a number of ways. This includes:
1)affecting your mood in the longer term
2)impacting on other coping skills
3)affecting relationships
4)undermining self-esteem
5)increasing likelihood of self-harm and suicide in those at-risk.
Benefits of regular physical activity.
If you are regularly physically active,you may:
reduce your risk of a heart attack
manage your weight better
have a lower blood cholesterol level
lower the risk of type 2 diabetes and some cancers
have lower blood pressure
have stronger bones, muscles and joints and lower risk of developing osteoporosis
lower your risk of falls
recover better from periods of hospitalisation or bed rest
feel better – with more energy, a better mood, feel more relaxed and sleep better.
Exercise not only makes you physically fitter but it also improves your mental health and general sense of well-being.
Some physical causes (such as birth trauma, brain injury or drug abuse) can directly affect brain chemistry and contribute to mental illness. More commonly, poor physical health can affect self-esteem and people's ability to meet their goals, which leads to unhappiness or even depression.
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