Exercise and Psychological Well-Being

Exercise and psychological well being
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Regular exercise improves cognitive capabilities, creates a healthy mood by reducing depressive symptoms, and also improves one’s esteem. A person who wants to start an exercise program for its psychological benefits should use a starter’s schedule. To achieve optimal results, one should strive to follow the schedule strictly. The schedule should include a combination of aerobic exercises and mind relaxation techniques. According to research, aerobic exercises have significant benefits in improving psychological health (Mikkelsen et al., 2017). Aerobic exercises improve mood by stimulating the part of the brain that is responsible for responding physiologically to stress. A practical exercise plan includes reminders or journals, or the use of tools such as one’s phone calendar to create a routine.
The body responds to various exercises based on standard physiological functions. One of the most important bodily role that can determine the type of exercise and timing is the circadian rhythm. Therefore, the outcome might rely on the schedule of the exercise. For example, some studies report that aerobic exercises have better outcomes when conducted in the morning, with resistance training reporting better results in the evenings (Seo et al., 2013). The following guidelines for a daily routine should be useful in promoting mental health.
Find the best time of your day when you can use the best exercise. The most recommended time is in the morning.

However, some people work out best in the evening. As a beginner, you should start with shorter sessions (from 20 minutes a day) and gradually prolong the sessions to up to 2 hours in a day.
If you cannot find the total work-out time at once, you can break schedule into shorter sessions and spread them out during the day.
Choose an environment that motivates you to exercise. This can be at home or a local gym. Some of the mind relaxation techniques such as yoga and meditation require concentration, and a comfortable and quiet environment is paramount.
You can increase the degree of intensity of the activities once you get used to them.
Daily exercise schedule
Exercise Time of the day Duration
Swimming/jogging/walking In the morning 45 minutes
Cycling Late afternoon 1 hour
Yoga/meditation Early morning 30 minutes
Reflective meditation Before sleep 30 minutes
References
Mikkelsen, K., Stojanovska, L., Polenakovic, M., Bosevski, M., & Apostolopoulos, V. (2017). Exercise and mental health. Maturitas, 106, 48-56.
Seo, D. Y., Lee, S., Kim, N., Ko, K. S., Rhee, B. D., Park, B. J., & Han, J. (2013). Morning and evening exercise. Integrative Medicine Research, 2(4), 139-144. doi:10.1016/j.imr.2013.10.003