- Exercising to feel better -
A lot has been writing about the health benefits of exercising. But its benefits lie beyond lowering your cholesterol level or reducing your body fat. Here is a quick round-up of how exercising can make you feel better in other ways.
Progress and motivation
If you exercise and measure your progress strictly, for example by running the exact same distance on the same path each time and measuring your time, or by lifting weights in the same exercise routine using the same technique and recording the weight every time, you will be better able to monitor the progress you are making at exercising. The benefit of doing so is that you can actually see for yourself how much better you are getting at it and how well your body is adapting and also getting fitter. Seeing how you can cut 10 seconds off your time or add 5 kg to your poundage to build muscle is powerful motivation too which will fuel your thirst for more exercise and more visible progress. Of course, there are other ways of exercising that are much more fun, such as cycling with friends or playing football, but you will not be able to monitor and measure your progress over time. If you are of the competitive type, competing with yourself will be your biggest challenge and will help push yourself harder and keep exercising. Sometimes, when you depend on friends and they don’t turn up, it is too easy to cancel your session until next time.
Confidence
The progress that you achieve and actually see for yourself will also enhance your self-confidence. You will walk with your head high and a smile on your face. The 10 seconds you are shaving off your time every week or so eventually leads to a fitter you too. Fitter means healthier and slimmer or at least an improvement in body shape if this is what you needed. This too will increase your self-confidence, perhaps even more so than by your achievements. Do not underestimate the self-confidence you can get by finally fitting in these jeans that you had given up. You will also have the confidence to do things you thought you were not able to, whether that was simply running after the bus, taking part in competitions, active holidays or simply hitting the beach.
Literally feel better
Exercises can literally make you feel better afterwards. This is through the release of endorphin in the blood stream. If you are not familiar with this term, it is a hormone that has a similar effect to morphine in that it blocks pain and increases the well-being of the person temporarily, but it is produced by the body itself and is therefore completely natural and harmless. The release of endorphin as a result of long periods of exercising is also called runner’s high. The effect of endorphin may be temporary but it is certainly appreciated!
One of the main reasons to exercise is of course to improve your health but there are other reasons that have been described above and that are often forgotten. If the health benefits of exercising have not convinced you, maybe these other well-being effects will.
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