Probably you know that exercise has a lot of benefits on your physical body. But it also has a huge impact on your mental health. Why is this and which kind of exercise is beneficial?
Enough exercise, but also sunlight and a healthy diet are crucial for our well-being because all that creates the BDNF-protein (Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor), which helps to produce new brain cells and synapses. The more BDNF-protein we have, the better is our memory and cogitation and we’re also more happy and relaxed.
If there is not enough BDNF-protein, we experience a decrease in memory and cogitation. If the lack is continuous, it comes to anxiety, depression, burnout, and sleep issues.
So what’s the right exercise then? One of the best things you can do is running or walking in the woods. Breathing fresh air and connecting to nature is very energizing.
But there is one very important thing to follow: while running, you have to look up into the trees (instead of down to the floor) and let your eyes wander left and right. This technique is called EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) and science shows that it stimulates the right and left brain hemisphere which leads to forwarding and converting of emotions.
Studies can prove that this combination of physical movement and eye movement has a very positive and fast impact on the brain and is therefore very helpful with depression.
Go out and try and let me know how you feel.
With love,
Karin
