Low impact activities and mental health

Low impact exercises are activities that can slowly increase your heart rate but put less pressure on your joints. Think things like swimming, yoga, or tai chi. These exercises tend to lean on gentler, slower movements than that of high impact activity. The benefit of low impact is that you can steadily build and maintain muscle mass without aggravating different areas of your body.

Oftentimes, these exercises come with a meditation component to promote relaxation and an exploration of mindfulness. These strategies have been supported in research to be truly beneficial for both the mind and body.

Benefits at a glance

• Low impact exercises such as Yoga and Tai Chi tend to reduce feelings of depression and anxiety and improved quality of life in those with depressive symptoms

The science behind It

These practices help your mental health partially because of their focus on breathing with movement. In general, slowed, controlled breathing reduces the heart rate and blood pressure. This action reduces the release of hormones that are amplified in times of stress, such as cortisol, an adrenal hormone. That means that the sense of calm you may be feeling while performing these exercises isn’t just imagined, but a true result of your hard work. Overtime, this can ultimately lead to better sleep quality, reduced fatigue, increased focus, and overall improved quality of life.

The main takeaway

Remember, just because these activities are low impact, doesn’t mean you should jump to the highest level. Start slow. Work on concepts like flexibility and balance to ensure a safe transition to more complex movements. Overtime, you will hopefully feel the improvements in your motion, strength, mood, and quality of life!