People tend to look at exercising as only a way to build muscle and to get ripped abs but if you were to just take a moment and reflect on your mind, body, and soul. You will see far more amazing benefits besides building muscle and shedding pounds. Things like your stress, anxiety, energy, and sleep quality, all the ones that are not necessarily visible from the outside, are all tremendously impacted by exercise.
Here are some of the awesome ways exercise can benefit your mind, body and soul:
It zaps anxiety. Ever notice that you can start a workout feeling stressed and anxious, and end it feeling good? According to Studies, exercise appears to change the chemistry of the brain by causing the release of GABA, a neurotransmitter that helps quiet brain activity and minimize anxiety. The study found that people who ran regularly had a low reaction to stressful situations, even if they had not run in more than 24 hours.
It reduces negative effects of stress. Exercise can provide stress relief for your body while imitating effects of stress, such as the flight or fight response, and helping your body and its systems practice working together through those effects. This can also lead to positive effects in your body—including your cardiovascular, digestive, and immune systems—by helping protect your body from harmful effects of stress.
It boosts immunity. Regular exercise can reduce your risk of certain serious health conditions, including heart disease, diabetes, and some cancers. It helps prevent or manage many other health problems and concerns, including:
- Stroke
- Metabolic syndrome
- High blood pressure
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Arthritis
It brings on better sleep. If you are having sleep problems, skip the pills and hit the outdoors, pool, or gym. Studies have found that People who exercise regularly reported sleeping better than they had previously. What exactly does “better” mean? In this case, it means dozing off faster, deeper sleep and for some people, having a decreased need for sleep-promoting medication.
Exercise puts the spark back into your sex life. Do you feel too tired or too out of shape to enjoy physical intimacy? Regular physical activity can improve energy levels and increase your confidence about your physical appearance, which may boost your sex life.
But there is even more to it than that. Regular physical activity may enhance arousal for women, and men who exercise regularly are less likely to have problems with erectile dysfunction than men who do not exercise.
The Bottom line on Exercise
Exercise and physical activity are great ways to feel better, boost your health and have fun.
People are less active nowadays, partly because technology has made our lives easier. We drive cars or take public transport. Machines wash our clothes. We entertain ourselves in front of a TV or computer screen. Fewer people are doing manual work, and most of us have jobs that involve little physical effort. We move around less and burn off less energy than we used to. Research suggests that many adults spend more than 7 hours a day sitting down at work, on transport or in their leisure time. People aged over 65 spend 10 hours or more each day sitting or lying down, making them the most sedentary age group.
Exercise should not be looked at as a chore or just a must have “hobby” but a necessity in our lives. A prevention of illness. A booster for longevity. A remedy and even sometimes a cure.