Does fitness matter? It certainly does, especially to your mental and physical wellbeing. To achieve optimal health, you must be physically and emotionally balanced. There are tremendous benefits of being fit including losing weight which is a big thing nowadays. People all over the world are trying to lose weight, and there are plenty of theories on how to get it done. The best way to lose weight is if you are physically fit overall. Additionally, being fit helps maintain heart rate, healthy blood pressure, reduces the risk of diabetes and cuts down on strokes.
Did you know physical activity can help one’s emotional and mental well-being? First and foremost, the more physical activity that is packed into you day the more likely you will be getting a break from daily stressors that we all have to face in life. For example, our family life, relationships, office work, even driving or anything else that might be stressful. When you concentrate on physical fitness, your mind forgets these daily stresses bringing temporary relief from anxiety. Focusing on the program at hand will ensure you don’t think of stressful components, rather concentrate on the task at hand.
Additionally, regular physical fitness releases a hormone to your brain’s region. This chemical is highly useful in helping the body modulate and balance other chemicals. The balancing out of bodily chemicals is similar to taking an antidepressant or another form of stress relieving medication.
Physical fitness also helps your physiological systems to communicate closely with each other. This is a direct benefit to your mental health. It improves your ability to deal with anxiety and stress without letting it empower your thinking or daily life. This is sometimes known as the core benefit of daily fitness in our lives. The other equally important benefits to your mental health include improved sleep, increased self-esteem and more controlled levels of anger and frustration.
How should you begin your fitness program?
- First and foremost, you must consult with a highly experienced personal trainer to give you proper guidance and advice on what activities to incorporate, assess your mental and physical strength, endurance and understand your ultimate objective.
- You must be patient building your fitness level gradually. It will take time, but if you set realistic goals you will be able to achieve it in the end.
- Include activities you love. What kind of physical activity do you enjoy the most? If it is swimming, dancing or hiking why not start off the program with these.
- Schedule it well. Yes, you must be accountable for your time and efforts. If you commit yourself, you must stick to it and see it through. Avoid making up excuses to skip a session or two when you get bored.
- Reward yourself – rewarding yourself off and on is something essential to the success of the program. You are not a robot that can carry on without a pat on the back. Have a chocolate milkshake if that is what you love, in moderation of course.
