THE EXERCISES THAT HELP MENTAL HEALTH MOST
All exercise improves our mental health. Yet it seems that some forms of exercise are better than others at helping to avoid depression, stress and other emotional problems.
Recent research has found that team sports fared the best, followed by cycling. Even taking gym classes was very helpful. The social aspects of a team sport combined with the physiological experience seems to part of the reason it works.
People who played team sports like soccer and basketball reported 22% fewer bad days than those who did not exercise. Joggers and runners also had fewer bad days.
People who practiced tai chi . yoga, golf or horseback riding also had a 22% fewer bad days.
45 minutes of exercise 3 to 5 times a week correlated with fewer bad days. Interestingly, more exercise was not better!