Tapping into Your Inner Yin & Yang: The Intersection of Mental Health & Physical Health

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Many have wondered if there’s a direct correlation between our physical health and our emotional health. Researchers have suspected this correlation for years, and a study published in 2015 found that people with depression had a 41% higher risk of diabetes1. Depression can affect the immune system, as can the associated lifestyle habits, such as a lack of exercise and poor diet, which may contribute to the development of diabetes.

Specifically, our brain secretes hormones that directly impact our emotions and physical well-being. When you think of your mental and physical health, you should also understand how key brain chemicals such as endorphins, serotonin, cortisol, and adrenaline work.

Endorphins and serotonin are neurochemicals that directly affect our mood and are released in response to physical activity. At the same time, exercise lowers the production of the body’s stress hormones—cortisol and adrenaline. The literature on the benefits of exercise for one’s mental wellness is extensive. And many of these studies have come to the same conclusion—a higher intensity aerobic exercise showed the most benefit in improving depression scores, but some exercise was better than none. So, find an activity you enjoy and set a schedule. Your options are limitless, and may we, the men’s health experts at Revibe, remind you that being intimate with your partner is absolutely a recommended form of exercise.

To be the best version of yourself, keep in mind that physical health and emotional well-being are intertwined, so be sure to nurture them both.

1. Depression and Risk for Diabetes: A Meta-Analysis Can J Diabetes. 2015 Aug;39(4):266-72. doi: 10.1016/j.jcjd.2014.11.006. Epub 2015 Mar 13. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25773933/