Beyond the Gym Selfies: Understanding the Intersection of Exercise, Mental Health, and Therapy
Exploring the Intersection of Fitness Culture and Mental Well-Being: Understanding the Dopamine Effect
There are many benefits to exercising and moving your body. Nowadays, fitness culture is so widespread and covers every inch of social media. Activewear has become daily wear, and going to the gym has a certain aesthetic to achieve. We have all checked in to the gym or done the obligatory gym selfie. Did we even go to the gym if we hadn’t done that? It seems funny at times, but it all goes with the saying that moving your body leaves us with those good feelings of accomplishment and happiness.
This isn’t just by chance that exercise makes us feel good. Biologically, we release dopamine when we exercise. Dopamine is responsible for many functions in our body, like sleep, memory, and, of course, mood. Dopamine acts on the parts of our brain that make us feel satisfied and motivated. This relates to the mental clarity and good vibes we get after a great workout. Another well-known neurotransmitter is serotonin. Serotonin is connected to mood as well as feelings of reward, anger, aggression, and perception. Serotonin also assists melatonin with sleep. So exercise and going to the gym seem to release all the hormones we need to feel good. Why would I need medication or even therapy?
Exercise is only a component of the concept of health. Health cannot be one-dimensional. This includes mental health. What happens when that feeling passes and you are trying to get that feeling back? Though activity can be very beneficial to mental health, it can also be detrimental. Working out and exercising can become an acceptable addiction because, at the end of the day, it is healthy, right? It can be another way of avoiding it. You feel bad, you work out, and you feel better. Did this solve the issue you were dealing with? No. You got the good vibes without doing anything about the thing that caused the issue. So when you continue to face that issue, you are unable to get to a conclusion that is more beneficial to your life.
Navigating Mental Health Holistically: Recognizing Exercise as One Tool Among Many
There is no “one cure-all” when it comes to mental health. To solve any problem or issue, it may require many tools. To build a stable house, we need multiple tools and multiple materials, and we need someone who has insight into how to use the tools. This is therapy in a nutshell. The house is you and your overall health. Exercise might be a tool or material, but you will need someone to guide you on how to use it effectively and not as a way to avoid the things that you need to overcome. That is what therapy can be for you.
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