SQUAT FOR HAPPINESS
Mental Health Benefits of Exercise
Training gives us an outlet for suppressed energies created by stress and thus tones the spirit just as exercise conditions the body. ~Arnold Schwarzenegger
1. Your self-esteem raises incredibly.
Once, you overcome all your excuses (or at least some of them!), you will start noticing how your appearance changes within time and that you are capable of doing things you thought you never will be able to do, such as waking up earlier than usual or swap watching TV for a workout. This will increase your self-worth and your confidence. Choosing even a short workout over scrolling down the Instagram will make you feel proud of yourself. Learning new things increases your self esteem. This is your first achievement: winning with your old routines and implementing new activities.
Squats will elevate your butt as well as your depression.
2. You are getting more confident.
Your body becomes stronger every time, you work out. You get proud of your accomplishments at the training and you can be surprised what you are able to do that you didn’t think you could do. You appreciate your body more for what it can perform and you feel beach ready even if you don’t look like Victoria Beckham or Kim Kardashian (who the hell wants to look like them?). You start loving your body for serving you and you take the best care of it. You are confident in the bikni, because no matter of your gym journey, you deserve the bikini. No. Bikini deserves your body. Fullstop. And the beach is ready for every body. Period.
Body and mind are not separated from each other.
3. Your mental strength goes up a few levels.
You are able to push yourself more despite self depleting thoughts. You learn how to control your thoughts during the workout, so you can channel this new superpower skill into other areas of your life. It is a kind of inner pep talk: you can do this Princess! One more rep, bitch! Or move faster, you slowcoach!
You will feel pretty sexy in your own skin and you won’t need to have anybody else’s looks.
You will be happy and confident about being you.4. Health is wealth. Size is lies.
Dependently on your diet and intensity level of your exercises your body might be changing over the weeks, so you are just getting your self-confidence back or you are gaining a new level of self-love. However, if you don’t see changes after a month or two and your clothes aren’t getting any looser, you either don’t push yourself hard enough or you just compensating those lost during the trainings calories with maccies and candies. In other scenario, it might be worth checking your thyroid. At the end of the day, it is not about the size of your pants. It is about you taking care of your body and your mind, and your soul. Losing body fat should be a consequence, not an aim (however for health reasons it is sometimes strongly advisable).
It is only up to you whether you blame the people around you, work, past, a dog, a cat or a neighbour for a lack of motivation. Does motivation actually exist? It is a single decision to take action and a single step towards changes without giving a single fuck. It is your desire to feel better, look better and even act better. It is up to you whether you achieve what you desire. You deserve to feel strong, beautiful and healthy and you are the only person that can give it to yourself.
You build your mental strength by overcoming your own physical and psychological limitations.
5. Reduction of stress.
One of the long term effects of exercising is lowering a blood pressure and improving the quality of sleep, which are both related to stress. Moreover, releasing accumulated negative energy makes you more relaxed. Even a few minutes of exercise can relive tension and anxiety.
6. Elevates depression on behavioural level.
Distraction can break the cycle of negative thinking, passivity and low energy. Depression can have many causes, such as chemical imbalances, behavioural and/or cognitive, trauma and many more. Depression can debilitate us so much that we are unable to get up in the morning, getting dressed and washed. You might need an adequate support to push yourself through a daily routine for a start, but when you finally push yourself to even a few minutes of exercise, you will notice changes in the way how you think and feel. Your brain will produce more neurotransmitters and new nerve cells are formed.
Your expectations need to be realistic. The road to recovery can be long and with many ups and downs (although it doesn’t necessary have to be like that!), but if you treat it as an adventurous journey to the top of the mountain, your soul will be growing, upgrading and enriching. So, don’t be afraid to fall over and remember that every time you get up off the ground will be teaching you something new. You can always level up your expectations, if you hit the plateau or want to achieve more.
7. Helps with insomnia.
Rejuvenated brain helps you respond better to everyday stressors, you are calmer, have more energy, so you also handle situations better than after a poor night sleep. It is pretty obvious, but still fewer people let this knowledge encourages them to start regular physical activity.
8. Creativity and social life.
You might even develop a new passion, business idea and meet new people, make friends and create new social network (relationship). Physical activity can boost your creativity.
9. Elevates depression on chemical level.
During and after workouts you feel uplifted, because of endorphins and the rest of natural highs. Physical exercise influences the central dopaminergic, noradrenergic and serotonergic systems.
10. Enhances other brain functions.
Physical exercise improves memory and cognitive functions. It can protect you from dementia and Alzheimer’s and increases the size of hippocampus.
Experiment with different types of trainings, so you will find what brings you more satisfaction and desired results. Be flexible, open minded and courageous to try different workouts. Alike in life. Alike in bedroom. Don’t get bored, as boredom will kill the most faithful relationship and even the strongest motivation in the gym.
In training you will find balance between overcoming and accepting your own limitations. Accept them NOW and patiently work towards improvements. No self- hate, no pressure.
Some sources, so you can expand your knowledge and gain motivation:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4061837/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8571000
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/02/160225101241.htm
https://www.jneurosci.org/content/36/8/2449
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaneurology/article-abstract/778849
Happi
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