Expert Draft
Why Being Physically active is good for your mental health
My parents always knew they wanted to have four children, but the way it happened did not go the way they envisioned it. My mom's sister was a single mom who passed away too soon at the age of 32. When she passed her daughter Ashley was 6 years old and was about to become a foster child. My parents made a very easy, but life-changing decision to adopt her. Ashley is now my oldest sibling and has been an amazing role model throughout my entire life. Though she is not technically our actual sister, it has never felt otherwise and my siblings and I have and always will refer to her as our sister. Unfortunately, depression and anxiety have impacted her life in a significant way. Though, physical exercise has been something she swears by to get her out of her depressive episodes.
The stigma surrounding mental health
Traditionally being sad or having a bad day has always been rebutted with "tough it out" or "stop being so negative." In reality, life is constantly throwing challenges our way and it can get challenging to always have an answer to these problems. In fact, before I knew much about mental health that is exactly how I viewed this and always thought people were weak if they complained about this issue. However, I have seen it first hand with my sister that it is a true illness that is uncontrollable at times. The best thing we can do to help people with depression is to actively show them we care and are there for them through thick and thin.
The ways physical activity is good for mental health
Boosts self-esteem
We live in a world today where people love to pass judgment amongst each other. One of the main targets for this is based on one's appearance. By working out, it improves your physique and mental sharpness to increase your self-confidence and image. When you exhaust your body and begin to see the results of your hard work, you become proud and respect yourself more. There are countless situations where people struggle with their image because society puts a lot of pressure to look a certain way. There's no perfect way to look which is what makes everyone very unique. However, by exercising hard you can try to be the best looking version of yourself and reap the benefits on the mental side as well.
Good coping mechanism
Life throws many challenges daily in a variety of ways whether its work, school, relationships, etc. It is easy to get caught up in it and want to take an easy way out. For some people that is resorting to unhealthy coping mechanisms such as drugs and alcohol. Instead, physical exercise is a great way for one to take their mind off whatever they have going on. In addition to this, by conquering difficult workouts it allows you to understand how powerful your mind is and can convince you to overcome other challenges. Personally, I have experienced this first hand with myself, friends, and family. I have seen both sides of it where hardships have torn some of my friends to where they look for that unhealthy coping mechanism and it just makes the situation worse. Though, staying active and exercising coping is truly amazing and allows you to keep your mind sharp during unprecedented times.
Proven to reduce anxiety, depression, and stress
Currently, anxiety and depression are at all-time highs along with suicide rates continuing to increase. There are different arguments regarding why this might be, though one I keep coming back to is the societal pressure and false reality of what social media portrays. The endless benefits from exercise such as increased energy, better sleep, a sharper memory, and stronger mental health are major factors in reducing this major issue.
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