There’s a lot of talk about how exercise can help improve your physical health, but what about your mental health? Turns out, working out can be a great way to boost your mood and reduce stress levels. This article explores briefly the science behind why working out makes us feel good mentally and how it can even help with conditions like anxiety and depression.
There are countless reasons working out is important for your health. Not only does it help to improve your overall physical health, but it also has a positive impact on your mental health and wellbeing.
Regular exercise has been shown to reduce stress levels, improve moods, boost cognitive function, and even help to prevent depression. It can also help to increase energy levels, improve sleep quality, and reduce anxiety, indeed.
Sometimes it’s hard to find the motivation to get up and move. After all, isn’t it more fun to lounge on the couch with a pint of ice cream than to hit the gym?
For many of us, the word “exercise” conjures up images of huffing and puffing our way through a grueling workout. But while it’s true that exercise can sometimes be tough, it can also be a powerful tool for managing stress. As I just mentioned, regular exercise has been shown to be as effective as medication for treating mental health conditions like anxiety and depression. And even if you don’t have a mental health condition, exercise can still help to reduce stress levels. That’s because exercise releases endorphins, which have mood-boosting effects. Additionally, exercise can improve sleep quality, which is often impaired by stress.
Here are three tricks and tips you can do anytime, anywhere:
1- If you haven’t started an exercise routine, start now!
If you’re like most people, you probably start the year off with good intentions to get in shape. But then life gets in the way and workout routines fall by the wayside. If you find yourself in this situation, don’t despair! It’s never too late to start exercising. In fact, research has shown that even a small amount of exercise can have a positive impact on your health. So whether you’re looking to lose weight, increase your energy levels, or simply improve your wellbeing, there’s no time like the present to start working out.
Here is a simple and effective way to start your routine:
For two weeks, just go for a walk or a run for 10 minutes. Increase the time to 20 minutes after a couple of weeks. After just 30 days, you’ll feel better, and it will become a habit. After that, you can add an exercise modality such as strength training and increase your session’s time according to how you feel.
2- Keep a pair of snickers in your car.
Keeping workout gear in your car will eliminate any excuse you might come up with. Remember, you can workout anywhere, the world is your gym!
3- Outsmart your mind when you feel lazy. Just do it!
We’ve all been there. You wake up in the morning and plan to workout, but suddenly you feel lazy and would rather just stay in bed. It’s tempting to give in to these feelings, but it’s important to remember that laziness is just a state of mind. If you can outsmart your brain and get moving, you’ll not only feel better physically, but you’ll also boost your mood and mental wellbeing. So next time you’re feeling lazy or feeling blue, just do it! Get up and get moving, and soon you’ll be glad you did.