The Why Exercise (Part 2)

Hi fitness friends! In my last blog, we discussed some of the physical aspects of why exercise is important for overall health and longevity. This weeks focus will cover the emotional side or how movement makes us feel.

I have heard many times both during my own workouts and in instructing classes people saying "I'm glad I decided to come today, I feel so much better now." Has this happened to you? Ever wonder why? If so, this post is for you.

To quote one of my favorite motivational speakers "Exercise makes you happy!" This has many meanings depending on your personal battles or fitness levels.

Last week I mentioned that one of the physical affects of working out was the potential to lose weight and change how the body looks. When this happens it also alters ones mood. The success of making progress toward or achieving a goal (fitness related or not) is very rewarding and, in turn, improves one's mindset. As the saying goes when you look good, you feel good. A sense of accomplishment has a positive impact on a person's mental health which contributes to overall well-being.

Now let's go back a few paragraphs to where I mentioned wondering why you feel better after a workout. During exercise your body releases endorphins (mind altering chemicals) naturally produced by the pituitary gland at the base of the brain. These are responsible for reducing pain and enhancing mood so the more regularly you exercise, the happier you'll be.

Why else is working out so important to emotional health? I'm so glad you asked! Not only does exercise elicit happiness, it regulates hormones. And for those of you who have teenagers at home or know someone who does, you probably know exactly what I'm talking about and can relate to how volatile they are. Keeping consistent fitness habits can assist in reducing those dreaded mood swings often experienced in early adulthood.

Another benefit movement provides to emotional health is that of consistency. When exercise becomes a habit, it tends to occur at relatively the same time every day. You may remember a past blog where I talked about when to exercise. Whether you are a morning person or prefer evening sessions, the most important thing is getting out there consistently. For an individual who is unfortunate enough to suffer from mental health issues, a regular schedule can be quite beneficial in their recovery process. Depending on the particular illness, frequent change may exacerbate the problem and contribute to further difficulties or possibly become untreatable.

You may have other reasons I neglected to mention here as to why it is crucial to get up, get out and get moving, but hopefully after reading this blog you understand a bit more why exercise plays such an instrumental role in keeping you balanced physically and emotionally.

Hope you'll come back next week for part 3 of The Why Exercise. See you then!!

Think about this: "The stronger you are, the better you feel"