192 - Friday Fix: 5 Physical Activities That Boost Your Mental Strength

The Verywell Mind Podcast

Dotdash Media Inc.

Health & Fitness, Self-improvement, Mental Health, Education

5 • 703 Ratings

🗓️ 26 August 2022

⏱️ 11 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

You may find yourself thinking you need more mental strength so you can go to the gym. But what if the opposite were true? You need to go to the gym to build mental strength. Most people focus on the physical muscle they build from exercise. But physical activity is also a great way to build mental muscle. Fortunately, you don’t necessarily need a gym membership to bolster your mental strength. There are plenty of physical activities you can do from home or outside to build mental strength. You also don’t need to do torturous workouts that prove you can stand pain (a common myth about mental strength training). Sometimes, a few simple physical activities might be enough to help you feel better, think clearer, and gain motivation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Welcome to the Very Well Mind podcast. We've interviewed over 100 authors, experts, entrepreneurs, athletes, musicians, and others to help you learn strategies to care for your mental health.
0:22.9	This episode is hosted by psychotherapist and bestselling author Amy Morin. Now let's get into the episode.
0:45.6	Okay. You're listening to the Friday fix.
0:52.6	Every Friday, I share a quick mental strength strategy that can help fix the thoughts, feelings, and actions that can hold you back in life.
0:54.8	When most people think of building mental strength, they might imagine putting themselves in scary situations or practicing meditation.
1:00.6	And while those things can help you grow mentally stronger, they aren't the only things you can
1:05.5	do. There are lots of ways to use your body to build mental muscle. That doesn't mean you have to
1:11.2	subject yourself to physical torture just to prove to your brain that you can stand the pain.
1:16.7	Something as simple as going for a walk can improve your psychological well-being.
1:21.9	I have talked about intense exercise on the show before and how that can help you build
1:26.3	mental strength. Back in episode 172, I shared
1:30.6	how to get through an emotional crisis by doing some intense exercise. We know that sprinting or
1:36.7	doing something really physically demanding makes your body work hard. And then when you're done,
1:42.0	your body works hard to relax and so will your mind. So it's a great strategy to build mental strength when you're done, your body works hard to relax. And so will your mind. So it's a
1:46.0	great strategy to build mental strength when you're going through a tough time. But intense exercise
1:51.1	isn't the only option, fortunately. In fact, there are ways to move your body that can build
1:56.7	mental strength that won't even cause you to break a sweat. Here are five of my favorite physical
2:02.0	activities that can change the way you think, feel, and behave. Number one, walk to reduce
2:09.3	depression. Multiple studies show that physical activity can be a really effective treatment for
2:14.5	mental health problems, and it doesn't have to be intense cardio to get
2:18.2	the benefits. Studies show just 200 minutes of walking per week, which turns out to be less than 30
2:24.5	minutes a day, greatly reduces depression and improves quality of life. In fact, some studies show
	...

Transcript will be available on the free plan in -950 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Dotdash Media Inc., and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Dotdash Media Inc. and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.