We always hear that exercise is good for mental health, not to mention physical health. Despite this commonly known fact, getting motivated is the hardest part. People know it will help, but at the end of the day, it’s just hard to drum up the motivation.
Why bother?
The science behind exercise is interesting in understanding why to make it a priority. A growing number of people are on
SSRI medications to manage mental heath symptoms. These commonly prescribed medications provide increased serotonin, a chemical your body already makes. While people think of
serotonin as a brain chemical, is is actually more accurately associated with the digestive system. So, when you take a SSRI pill, your digestive system processes and breaks it down for more serotonin, one of the chemicals that helps lift mood and ease anxiety.
Regular exercise can have the same effect! When a person does a minimum of 15 minutes of exercise a day, serotonin levels increase. That’s not much. All you have to do is elevate your heart rate for at least 15 consecutive minutes to jump start your serotonin production.
While taking prescribed SSRIs is useful, don’t forget to move your body. Your body is an amazing machine that can do what you need it to. All you have to do is activate it!