What makes for a happy, healthy you? - Exercise
Several elements go together to make for a healthy, happy you. In this post I’m going to focus on one of those elements – the benefits of exercise.
In the next few posts, I’ll delve into some of the other elements that contribute to creating a healthier, happier you.
With this knowledge, you can begin to develop your own plan of how to take action to work on creating more space for health and happiness in your life.
With knowledge, you can set yourself up to do the work required to learn to thrive; to live in the best version of yourself as opposed to simply existing and surviving.
“Exercise is a vital component to helping you thrive. It affects how you look, how you feel and how you age. ”
Regular exercise will improve your self-esteem and make you a happier person – truth! If you exercise regularly, you will have a spring in your step and a glint in your eye, and start to feel pretty darn good about yourself. You will genuinely be happier. This is because by performing exercise, your body will release endorphins, the happy chemicals. These endorphins will flood your brain and change the balance to a more positive and happier one – how good is that! Regular exercise will reduce your flat moods with a constant stream of beautiful, feel good hormones – bring it on! So, in effect, exercise can have a mood-altering benefit! And when we’re happy, we have less space to be stressed. That’s why exercise is often referred to as ‘nature’s natural anti-depressant’.
Exercise increases your energy levels. So, you will often find yourself managing to get more done in your day when you have exercised, increasing your sense of purpose and accomplishment. Your breathing will flow easier and aches and pains will reduce as mobility increases.
Performing exercise (particularly if it is weight bearing) will increase your metabolic rate which means you will burn more calories and can benefit from weight loss if this is one of your goals and you manage your diet appropriately.
In addition, you will become stronger and have beautiful sculpted muscles (again, particularly with weight bearing exercises), and more importantly if we are thinking about living a long and healthy life – your bones will be stronger, putting you in a better position to ward off osteoporosis.
Your agility, balance, flexibility and coordination will improve (great for falls-prevention as we age), and your blood pressure and cholesterol will lower in combination with a healthy diet keeping your heart healthy.
Your skin may begin to glow and look healthier due to the fresh oxygen being circulated throughout your body when you exercise, and the fact that exercise simply makes your body move better - inside and out – thus digestion is enhanced with regular exercise too! As is your circulation. Am I starting to convince you that exercise is a good thing, and particularly a good thing to incorporate into your lifestyle on a regular basis? I sincerely hope so!!!
When regular exercise becomes a part of your lifestyle, your sleep will improve. Your body will learn to work hard and to rest. Sleep is the ultimate healer and balancer, helping us to renew before go again. When you get to the point of exercising regularly and sleeping well, your mental clarity will improve, helping you deal with life’s pressures better, with a sense of clarity and calm. You may perform better in your exercise, in your work, in your relationships, in your life in general. If you are a creative person, you may find your creativity flows and is no longer blocked. You may find yourself being less clumsy and making less mistakes. By having this clarity and a rested and balanced body and mind, you may find yourself making healthier lifestyle and relationship choices automatically.
Making exercise a regular part of your life is seriously a life changer! Recharge Plus and Recharge Plus On Demand are built to create the ability to help you on this journey and to help you begin to thrive.