As the temperature is warming up, it’s a good time to start or even ramp up your exercise routine! It is important to do the type of exercise we enjoy and we should be aiming for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week and and 2 days of muscle strengthening activity.
Exercise is reported to improve our physical and mental fitness, improving our mood, reducing anxiety and improving our sleep. It has been shown that moderate-intensity anaerobic (eg, touch footy, tennis) exercise is associated with greater mood improvements and a 10-30 minute exercise session is all you need (Chan et al, 2019). Very interestingly, recent research suggests that the beneficial effects of exercise on the brain are related to several underlying mechanisms related to muscle–brain, liver–brain and gut–brain crosstalk. Therefore, exercising regularly has potential underlying mechanisms involved in exercise–brain communication and great benefits for physiology and brain function (Nay et al, 2021).
Getting started…….
- Move more throughout the day. Take the stairs, not the lift or escalator. Use a standing desk at work. Get off the bus or train the stop before and walk home.
- Set aside set times to make exercise and physical activity part of your daily or weekly routine.
- Try activities with others in your household or workplace for joint motivation.
- Use free apps and websites (Active and healthy events | Brisbane City Council) to find new, different and fun ways to be physically active.
- See a health professional (physiotherapist) to determine what physical activities are right for your age, fitness level, skill level, and health.
Most importantly, make exercise part of your life routine and you won’t look back!
References:
John S. Y. Chan, Guanmin Liu, Danxia Liang, Kanfeng Deng, Jiamin Wu & Jin H. Yan (2019) Special Issue – Therapeutic Benefits of Physical Activity for Mood: A Systematic Review on the Effects of Exercise Intensity, Duration, and Modality, The Journal of Psychology, 153:1, 102-125, DOI: 10.1080/00223980.2018.1470487
Nay, K.; Smiles, W.J.; Kaiser, J.; McAloon, L.M.; Loh, K.; Galic, S.; Oakhill, J.S.; Gundlach, A.L.; Scott, J.W. Molecular Mechanisms Underlying the Beneficial Effects of Exercise on Brain Function and Neurological Disorders. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22, 4052. https://doi.org/ 10.3390/ijms22084052
