It goes without saying that most people who work out dwell much on the physical benefits and hence tend to forget that doing so gifts them with an array of emotional benefits too. For instance, most guys exercise to get that awesome six pack and lean muscles to flaunt during summer while the ladies do it to achieve that bikini body which is totally okay and in fact allowed. However am here to remind you of the emotional benefits so that the next time you think of quitting your fitness regime, you’ll remember this and put on your jogging pants or gym outfit and hit the road as soon as possible. There are also other benefits of exercise but the focus here is only on the emotional benefits of physical activity or exercise.
Eases anxiety
Anxiety is a condition which most people struggle with on a daily basis. However, they tend to experience a heightened level of this condition because they tend to think about things which induce it even more.
Working out can help them tackle it because while engaging in yoga, working out or jogging they tend to break the cycle by focusing on the task at hand. Additionally, exercise or physical activity often leads to the relaxation of the brain by calming down the brains hyperactive neurons thus leading to relaxation enabling the individual to focus on better things other than things which give them anxiety.
Helps with depression
Most people tend to assume that a person with anxiety also has depression but these are two totally different conditions. Nevertheless, one thing that they have in common is that both can be eased by the same thing and that is; physical activity.
Whether it is yoga, jogging, riding a bicycle, hitting the gym or any other form of exercise that works for you, exercising has the ability to ease your depression by helping you take the mind of your worries. It also helps increase the amount of the feel-good hormone known as endorphin making you a happy person. Don’t let depression take over your life today exercise it away.
Aerobics are a great way to improve mental health.
Reduces stress
Having a rough day at work has the impact of emotionally straining you and leaving you stressed out. Dealing with a baby who won’t stop crying can wear you out mentally. In a nutshell, there are so many stress factors out there that will leave you feeling mentally exhausted but don’t leave any room for them to stay because these are what lead to depression.
Take a walk, run or any other form of physical activity that is appealing to you because it has been scientifically proven that exercising eases stress. It does so by stimulating the release of norepinephrine which helps improve your mood and lets you keep the events which led to the stress behind you. It also triggers the release of hormones like endorphin which lets you be happy again and at the same time helps you break the chain of stress by focusing on the activity you are partaking.
Improves self-esteem
Have you ever achieved that one goal that you’ve always wished to accomplish? If the answer to that is yes then you definitely know how victory tastes and chances are that after that occasion you felt really good about yourself. Am sure you are wondering where am headed with this victory talk but hold your horses am about to expound on that.
Physical activity helps better your self-image. For instance, if you had self-esteem issues because of those extra kilos hitting the gym or indulging in any form of exercise will help you get rid of them and thus you’ll start feeling better about yourself. This often comes as a double package because improved self-esteem means more confidence in being in your skin.
Besides physical fitness is something that most people are unable to achieve. The simple act of waking up early and exercising is no longer simple in our generation. That is why achieving physical fitness can improve your self-esteem because it is something that most people are unable to accomplish yet you’ve managed to mark this milestone
Boosts your social life
Conditions like depression and anxiety tend to reduce one to a shell of loneliness causing you to become an introvert when before you were a social butterfly. Also having a negative self-image can cause a person who was incredibly social before to become less social. Exercising helps you hit three birds using one stone as it eases your depression and anxiety and at the same time boosts your self-esteem causing you to have confidence which significantly impacts your ability to socialize with others. That tends to improve the quality of life.
Improves cognitive functions
Studies show that exercising has the potential to leave you a much smarter person by improving your cognitive functions or brain abilities. How does it do that? Well, you see when you hit the gym, indulge in yoga or any other form of physical activity that you love, this tends to increase your heart rate which in return helps create new brain cells in a process known as neurogenesis.
Research has also shown muscular strength is an indicator of better brain health.
This is especially important because as we age our brains no longer encounter neurogenesis. That is why you’ll find most old people tend to have more mental conditions like Alzheimer and the likes. However, exercising helps keep them at bay through the mentioned process and thus improves your cognitive functions by boosting mental clarity.
Conclusion
There are myriads and myriads of emotional benefits that one can get from exercising. For instance, besides the above, you might also benefit from physical activity if you are suffering drug addiction because it offers a great distraction. Therefore the next time you break a sweat while in the gym, remember you are getting benefits not only physically but also emotionally.
