Do you enjoy working out? If the answer is “yes”, why? Is it because of the final result of losing weight and/or building muscle? Or is it because of how it makes you feel during and afterwards? Have you ever seen those people in the gym who are in extremely good shape? I used to wonder why they were still there. It seemed like they had already gotten to their peak fitness levels. I thought they were done. But, the trick to living a healthy lifestyle is doing it every day, day in and day out. There is no finish line, really. I’m beginning to realize that these “gym rats” are doing more than just maintaining their bodies, they are reaping the benefits that we could all use a little more of. The benefits I’m talking about are abundant, the following lists just a few. Before you skip your next workout you may want to consider the 6 positive benefits it has on your mental health.
Improved Mood
The fastest way out of a bad mood is exercise, plain and simple. If you want to change your life, you can’t just wish for it to happen. Take positive, concrete steps toward your goals and you will get you there faster than just thinking about it.
Increased brain function
Are you tired of sitting at your work desk for hours? Getting up and walking around the office, or perhaps using a jump rope will add a little productivity to your day. The results of exercise will be almost immediate for increased brain function.
Better Cognitive function
“Regular physical activity can help keep your thinking, learning, and judgment skills sharp as you age,” reports the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Improve your memory and brain function with a little exercise. This is also extremely important for the older generation of adults where Alzheimer’s is a growing concern. Senior living centers such as Avanti Assisted Living Cypress know how important exercise is to their aging community. Senior centers and now making it a large portion of their budget to keep aging adults healthy and happy.
Increased Creativity
If you have a creative job and you’re not working out consistently, you may be hitting a creative block more often than you have to. Being active has been shown to increase creative juices several hours after the workout.
“Science has also provided some evidence that physically active people have lower rates of anxiety and depression than sedentary people. Exercise may improve mental health by helping the brain cope better with stress. In one study, researchers found that those who got regular vigorous exercise were 25 percent less likely to develop depression or an anxiety disorder over the next five years (source).”
Reduced Stress
It seems as though everyone is stressed and/or tired these days. Why not take your exercise outside and grab a buddy to exercise with? It’s important to deal with stress effectively so that it doesn’t turn up in other areas of your life.
Reduced Anxiety
Anxiety is extremely common, and exercise has been shown to reduce the symptoms of this psychiatric illness. Working out regularly may actually show some relief to anxiety symptoms and is even sometimes prescribed to patients not able to take medication.
I never truly understood why people enjoyed working out. That’s until I started working out to lose weight. Not only did I lose the weight, but I gained so much more energy and confidence when the pounds started to come off. I exercise regularly, but if I have to skip a day, I miss the feelings I get afterwards. I feel lethargic, unable to focus, and not motivated to do anything. However, with exercise in my day, I feel proud of myself all day, I’m more clear-headed and have increased energy. This is why I believe it’s important to get your workouts in any way you can. I know, I know, for those of you just starting out on your fitness journeys, the people that just “have to workout” are annoying. But, if losing weight and getting healthy to live a longer life are important to you, why not give it a try?
Christina
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