Grind: A Strong Body Means a Strong Mind

Grind: A Strong Body Means a Strong Mind

We need to grind. Exercise is one of the most important things we can do for ourselves.

Many men suffer from mental illness. An estimated 26% of Americans actually suffer mental illness in some capacity. Depression attacks 9.5% of adult Americans each year and around 18% of us suffer from an anxiety disorder (John Hopkins Medicine, 2021). Men are four times more likely than women to attempt suicide, though women are more likely to attempt.

These numbers are staggering. I believe there is one thing we can all do however, to ensure we are doing what we can for our own mental health: Exercise.

We all know the obvious physical benefits of exercise. Weight management, reducing disease, strengthening bones and muscles, and improving the ability to do everyday activities are all physical benefits of exercise (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2021). We all benefit from exercise regardless of our age, ability, shape, or size. What is less known, and still largely being studied, are the benefits exercise has on our mental health.

Physical exercise has some immediate benefits to our mental health however. Our brain health is positively impacted almost immediately following a moderate exercise session. Short term benefits include improved thinking and cognition as well as reduced short-term feelings of anxiety. Regular physical activity has long term impacts on our mental well being and can help us keep our thinking, learning, and judgment skills sharp as weage. It can also reduce our risk of depression and anxiety and help us sleep better (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2021).

I found in several articles the benefits of exercise on brain health. Though many of these findings are still being studied, the research supporting that exercise benefits brain and mental health is robust. Research suggests that exercise even reduces cognitive issues in schizophrenia (Gingell, 2018). We can also reduce the effects of ADHD and PTSD through exercise (Robinson et al., 2020).

I think men, in an effort to maintain their own masculine energy can especially reap the benefits from exercise. I work with men regularly who are going through difficult times in their lives. Many of the veterans I talk to are feeling stress from day-to-day life and are slowly losing confidence in themselves. The best advice I can give any man, veteran or not, who is feeling the impacts of aging, a slowing metabolism, the stress of work and family life, is to exercise. 

Exercise will decrease your stress and build a buffer against it, distract you from negative thoughts and emotions, help you find your confidence, and rebuild your social network with other supportive men (Star, 2019). Exercise can also give us a boost in testosterone levels which every man needs as we continue to age (Metcalf, 2015). Your lady may also benefit from you benefitting here. 

I can go on and on about the benefits of exercise. As men, bottom line, I believe we need exercise. We crave the outdoors, the hunt, the road. We exist to do manly things. Part of being a man is to be strong. Your lady wants you fit, you want to be fit. Mostly, your mental health requires that you train your body. Physically challenging ourselves mentally challenges us. Getting up in the morning for the single purpose of training, fighting against the snooze button, struggling to get out the door, succeeding at these things (the hardest parts of exercise) builds in us the mental toughness we need to be strong men.

Go grind!

Works Cited

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021). Benefits of Physical Activity. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/pa-health/index.htm

Gingell, S. (2018, March 22). How Your Mental Health Reaps the Benefits of Exercise: New research shows why physical exercise is essential to mental health. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/what-works-and-why/201803/how-your-mental-health-reaps-the-benefits-exercise

John Hopkins Medicine. (2021). Mental Health Disorder Statistics. John Hopkins Medicine. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/mental-health-disorder-statistics

Metcalf, E. (2015, May 06). Does Working Out Affect Testosterone Levels? WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/men/features/exercise-and-testosterone#:~:text=When%20you%20exercise%3A%20Your%20testosterone%20levels%20vary%20throughout,a%20bigger%20effect%20on%20testosterone%20in%20the%20evening.

Robinson, L., Segal, J., & Smith, M. (2020, October). The Mental Health Benefits of Exercise. Help Guide. https://www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-living/the-mental-health-benefits-of-exercise.htm

Star, K. (2019, August 10). How Physical Exercise Benefits Mental Health. Very Well Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/physical-exercise-for-panic-disorder-and-anxiety-2584094#:~:text=There%20are%20several%20reasons%20why%20physical%20activity%20can,6%20Exercise%20provides%20a%20buffer%20against%20stress.%20