Caring for your mental health
When it comes to exercise, we generally think of our physical conditioning rather than our mental condition. Working out can be great for our bodies, but we often forget that our minds will often benefit from exercise.
If you want to reap the rewards of a happy and healthy lifestyle, then it pays to look at the mental benefits of a workout as much as the physical benefits. Why, though, is working out so good for your mental health?
- Greater stress relief. Exercise increases your endorphins, your brains feel-good neurotransmitters. Sometimes you will hear this called a "runners high" the same feel-good boost can be had from a game of tennis, a session in the gym or a punishing session with a Personal Trainer.
- Positive self-esteem. Another benefit of working out from a mental perspective is the improvement in your self-esteem. As you start to see yourself in a better light, you are far more likely to actually feel good about yourself. Before long, you’ll stop worrying about your physical shape, sense of worth or overall well-being as time goes on.
- Combatting depression. Working out on a regular basis can mean you are less likely to suffer from depression or at least will have access to one of the most natural treatments for depression. You can find that working out helps to reduce anxiety, and can also help you to feel more empowered physically. Self-worth improves with every passing day as you notice the improvements take place.
- Better general moods. Last but not least, you should just feel in a better mood from day to day. Exercise is a great way to help us get out of our own heads and to start dealing with the problems in our life instead of just fretting about them. Physical activity allows you to see a conscious physical change, but it also allows you to feel more alert, more awake and generally more serene – even in the face of an unexpected problem.
With all of this in mind, then, you should find it much easier to enjoy and appreciate the art of working out. Exercise is far more than merely losing weight or feeling healthier physically: it’s also about helping you to feel better mentally. With that in mind, it should be much easier to see the long-lasting benefits of regular exercise from more than just one perspective.
