How to Move Your Mindset

Find out how to move when you want to shift your mindset – and see what the science says about how different activities protect mental health.

Lifting weights to lighten mental load

If you feel like nothing is going right and you can’t concentrate, it’s time to focus on your mindset. With a good workout, you can build the momentum you need to shift your mindset from one end of the spectrum to the other.

In these situations, strength training is a good choice – every rep is a fight that it takes mental and physical strength to achieve. The feeling that you get from making it through can give you the confidence to attack the day.

SCIENCE SAYS:

Research shows weightlifting is a surefire way to ease feelings of stress and anxiety. The powerful perks of resistance training are on par with antidepressant medications or psychotherapy – and studies show you can still feel the effects whether you lift heavy or go light. This suggests it’s not about the strength you build, but the feeling of accomplishment and confidence that comes from lifting weights. Looking for a smart place to start? Try squats, lunges and planks, as these exercises all strengthen the core and promote improved posture – and better posture is linked to a better mood.

Finding balance

If you’re feeling highly emotional and you know the smallest thing could push you over, it’s a sign yourmental health is starting to slide. Another tell-tale sign is hiding away and ghosting the world.

A go-to workout for a mental health pick-me-up is BODYBALANCE. It's restorative, inclusive, and connects to your spirit. You can slowly ease yourself into it, it doesn’t demand big energy, and the coaching encourages you to tune into your present state and focus on your breath.

SCIENCE SAYS:

BODYBALANCE uses a combination of yoga, Pilates and Tai Chi to build strength, improve flexibility and create a sense of calm. Research shows it can quickly reduce feelings of anxiety, tension and sadness, while helping you sleep better and feel more confident and motivated. The reason it has these effects is because it helps improve your body’s heart rate variability (HRV). This is the measure of variation between heartbeats which indicates a healthy cardiovascular system. Studies link having low HRV to anxiety and increased risk of cardiovascular disease. When you take action to improve HRV, you are better able to shift from a state of stress to relaxation.

High-intensity for happiness

When feeling mentally off balance, feeling overwhelmed and busy, and struggling to prioritize what you need to do. Take time out for a workout is the perfect state shift. The high-energy rush of GRIT Cardio or GRIT Strength are perfect. It’s intense and it tests your limits, giving you instant satisfaction from doing something hard. When you push past my limits in your workout, it translates into an ‘I can do this’ belief throughout the rest of you day.

SCIENCE SAYS

Not only is High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) one of the most powerful ways to transform your health and fitness, studies show it can have a positive effect on mental wellbeing, symptoms of depression, anxiety and psychological stress. High-intensity cardio is generally more effective than low-intensity and is strongly associated with helping reduce depression and having a moderate but reliable effect on symptoms associated with anxiety disorders.

Flow and focus to calm anxiety

If you’re struggling with anxiety and your mind keeps circling back to the same subject, you can keep things in check by learning to slow down and breathe. This is where yoga comes in. It allows you to reduce stress physically, which helps you feel good internally/mentally.

When practising yoga, you’re fully present win your body and the mind can go quiet. Nothing else matters at that moment, so it really feels like self-care.

SCIENCE SAYS:

Yoga is highly regarded as a powerful antidote for stress, anxiety and depression. Scientists have found it helps regulate two important stress response systems – our autonomic nervous system and the hypothalamic-pituitary axis. When you flow through yoga moves, it can spark changes in your brain's hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex, which help manage decision-making, stress and emotional regulation. These changes in brain structure and function are key to helping our bodies respond, rather than react, to stress. Many experts consider yoga a safe and effective alternative to medication and some researchers found that the effects of yoga on depression were comparable to that of pharmacological treatment, group therapy, social support groups, and massage.

Low-impact for a big boost

When you start to feel more tired, less motivated and more emotional than usual, it’s time to care for your wellbeing. You’ll find you don’t feel like being around people and want to stay at home – usually wearing very baggy comfortable clothes! When these tell-tale signs hit, finds a low-impact workout delivers a high return on the mental health stakes.

By choosing a workout like BODYBALANCE you can focus on breathwork and bring calmness to your mind – leaving you with less tension and anxiety in your body. If you have a little more energy, turn to LES MILLS SHAPES™ to bring the burn and soothe your mood. It’s low impact, but you get a great whole-body training sesh and that doesn't leave you feeling exhausted in the head.

SCIENCE SAYS:

Workouts like LES MILLS SHAPES are packed with Pilates-inspired moves shown to reduce stress while boosting mood, energy and motivation. The benefits kick in as you focus on controlled movement and breathwork, which results in your nervous system lowering cortisol levels, and this helps lower stress over time. As with any exercise, the increased oxygen flow and blood circulation stimulate feel-good endorphins and give you a boost of energy.

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This piece originally appeared at https://www.lesmills.com/fit-planet/health/mental-wellness-workouts/