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12 Ways Exercise Boosts Mental Health: Easing Depression, Revving Up Sex Drive, Calming Anxiety and More

Working out also boosts self-confidence and helps with PMS, stress and quitting smoking (13 Photos)

Stacey Colino on Oct 28, 2012 at 11:50PM

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12 Ways Exercise Boosts Mental Health: Easing Depression, Revving Up Sex Drive, Calming Anxiety and More

Henrik Sorensen/The Image Bank/Getty Images

Get an Rx for Exercise

Next time you’re feeling blue or stressed or compelled to eat, lace up some walking shoes and head to the gym, the trail or the weight room. It may beat sitting on a therapist’s couch, and you get a physical workout, to boot. “People need to become more aware of the benefits of exercise for mental health in both the short term and the long run,” says Ana M. Abrantes, Ph.D., assistant professor (research) at the Alpert Medical School of Brown University in Providence, R.I. “Being physically active isn’t only important for physical health or weight loss.” Here are 15 ways exercise can alleviate mental health problems.

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How does exercise improve your mood?