Do you have feelings of sadness or irritability? Has there been a loss of interest in pleasurable activities that you once enjoyed? Have you noticed any weight loss or change in your appetite? Have you noticed changes in your sleeping pattern? Are you feeling guilty? Are you experiencing difficulty in concentrating, remembering things or making decisions? Have you had thoughts of suicide or death? If you answered “yes” to most of these questions, consider consulting your family physician as your mental health maybe at risk.

Mental health, as defined by the Surgeon General’s Report on Mental Health, “refers to the successful performance of mental function, resulting in productive activities, fulfilling relationships with other people, and the ability to adapt to change and cope with adversity.” On the other end of the flow is mental illness, a term that refers to all “mental disorders.” Mental disorders are health conditions that are characterized by alterations in thinking, mood, or behavior associated with distress or impaired functioning. This notion of a continuum sees mental health on one end as “successful mental functioning” compared to mental illness on the other end as “impaired functioning.”

It’s a fact, exercise like aerobics not only has a positive effect on your body as a whole, but also on your brain in particular. Exercising is a great way to increase your positive outlook on life, by boosting production of the “gang of four” hormones and neurotransmitters in your brain, namely dopamine, serotonin, melatonin and norepinephrine. Between them, these natural chemical substances can make life seem more enjoyable, less stressed and better focused.

However, aerobics also has longer lasting benefits as well. Besides the immediate effects of stimulating the right chemical production in your brain, aerobics also promotes mental health on a long-term basis, when done regularly and under the right conditions. It’s a link that is regularly reinforced by scientific research on the subject, which also shows that diet is an important factor as well. Brainpower and brain fitness can suffer not only from a lack of oxygen-enriched blood that exercise brings, but also from eating too many high-sugar foods. Although the brain needs glucose in order to function at optimal capacity, it is the body’s job to manufacture this to order when you eat the right foods, rather than trying to inject sugar directly into your system.