Here's how Kareena Kapoor Khan and Malaika Arora's favourite workouts can boost your mental health

Whether you like getting on the mat for a HIIT workout, or favour following a yoga flow, the pros of exercising are many—especially when you're staying at home. And while the physical benefits are oft discussed—better immunity, a lower risk of disease, a faster metabolism—the mental and mood-enhancing advantages are sometimes overlooked. We spoke to a Radhika Gordhandas, a Mumbai-based sports psychologist and performance management professional, about how exercise can boost feelings of happiness, and how your favourite workouts are already doing that. 

How does exercise improve your mental health?

“Exercising helps to raise your heart rate and improve blood circulation, all of which contributes to feeling better in general," says Gordhandas. “It boosts your self confidence. When you work out, you set a goal for yourself. Even if you just add ten push-ups to your routine, when you're done, you'll feel positive for having achieved that,” she says. “Set a goal that drives you positively. It all depends on how you reinforce it to yourself. If you're standing on the scale waiting to hit a certain number, it'll just stress you out. Instead, use that drive to motivate you,” she says.

It's also a way to build connection. “I exercise with my son and this helps us spend good quality time with each other, while we also motivate and push each other to achieve our goals and finish the workout for the day," she says. “Mix things up so you don't get bored with one singular kind of exercise,” she says.

Cardio workouts

Katrina Kaif is a big fan of a circuit workout, and she tries to add it to her routine as often as she can. "You don't have to stress your body out, but even a little bit of workout is good for your immunity. It also keeps you endorphins up when there's so much stress and anxiety right now,” she shared in a video.

“Cardio is a great aerobic form of exercise which gets the body excited, and the intensive nature increases the oxygen intake of your body. This releases positive hormones and gives you a rush of endorphins,” says Gordhandas. Research also says that cardio improves brain elasticity and creates new connections between neurons. According to a study, aerobic exercises strengthen the hippocampus, a part of the brain which is responsible for the long and short term memory. 

Since cardio exercises (like skipping or doing burpees), are a continuous exercise, it also forces you to focus on one thing to prevent injury, taking your mind away from stressors. "With circuit training, you have small interim goals. You step up, jump, skip, complete repetitions, and begin the second workout. Not only do they make you feel better as you achieve multiple goals, your are also mindful of your routine and this helps you improve your focus. You also recover in the interval,” says Gordhandas. 

Kickboxing

Kareena Kapoor Khan and Amrita Arora are big fans of kickboxing, and for good reason. “The last session we always hit without fail is the kickboxing session. They have both told me that this is by far their favourite. Of course I am not training them to be fighters, but kickboxing has so many benefits that I am able to adapt the session to suit their exact requirements. I can see they both love releasing their built-up energy by hitting the focus pads as hard as they can,” shared their trainer, Drew Neal in an interview with Vogue India. 

“The reason why boxing or kickboxing is good for your mental health is because it helps you release pent-up aggression through a positive activity instead of anger. And releasing your aggression will help you heal your mind and think clearly,” she says. “Being in the present helps you have a neutral and positive perspective of life."

Just like runners have a ‘runners high’ after they're done, boxing, considering that it increases your heart rate as well, has a similar effect. When putting all your energy onto your punching bag, the brain increases the production of endorphins, and the arm and leg movements help to relieve muscle tension in the body, especially when you sit hunched over a computer all day. 

Yoga

Malaika Arora has always been a big fan of yoga, chalking it up to be her fitness secret. “The point isn't how well you performed today, the point is that you showed up. Wake up and show up everyday [sic]. The one hour you spend everyday for yourself to be physically and mindfully fit is the most important one hour,” she said in an Instagram post about her yoga practice.

Yoga is an exercise for your mind and the body and both work simultaneously while you practice it. “Not only does yoga improve the blood and oxygen flow to the brain which helps relieve stress, it makes your focus on your breathing which helps you relax. It can also be practiced by older people and there are various asanas that can followed based on your body type and ailments,” says Gordhandas.

The physical yoga movements also have a positive effect. Longer-held poses help to dial down the sympathetic nervous system’s fight-or-flight response, allowing the parasympathetic nervous system to take control. This reduces the level of the cortisol in the body considerably, clearing your head and reducing inflammation at the same time.

Dancing

While Jacqueline Fernandez dabbles in pilates and aerobics, dancing (particularly pole dancing), is her workout of choice. “The stronger and better you get, the more confident you become and that's a feeling that lasts outside the class,” said Roksolana Chubenko, her trainer at the time.

“Dancing or exercise forms such as Zumba and aerobics include fast-paced music which can cheer you up," says Gordhandas. “Like with boxing and cardio, it is a positive release to your frustrations and aggression, and releases endorphins due to the high impact activity." Following steps—if you're working out through a video or trying to learn a routine—can help keep the brain sharp, even reducing the chance of Alzheimer's and other cognitive diseases in the future, by boosting protein synthesis in the brain. 

Also read:

Why balancing your cortisol levels could be the key to better health and happier skin

5 cardio exercises you can add to your workout routine if you hate running

8 expert-approved tips that will help you learn to love working out