Movement and Mood
Movement and Mood. Have you ever finished a workout and just felt like you were on top of the world? If not, maybe you haven’t found the right workout yet…
Research shows that as well as your mood changing your movement, for example, when you are feeling anxious you can’t stop moving around and your heartbeat races and when you feel down or depressed you move more slowly and sluggish. Well, movement can change your mood, even when you don’t feel like exercising with your personal trainer or doing a class you have booked, but you do it anyway, do you feel better after the session?
Fill your body with happy hormones
Getting your body moving is key, not just for physical reasons, but for our mental health too. When you exercise regularly for 30 minutes up to 1 hour, your body releases chemicals called endorphins; also known as happy hormones. These hormones interact with the brain receptors that reduce your perception of pain and also help to do the following:
- They trigger a positive feeling in the body.
- Help you to relax.
- Reduce the stress hormone called Cortisol.
- Lower rates of depression and anxiety.
- Improve self-esteem and body confidence.
- Improve your sleep.
These happy hormones will give you so much positive energy, you will have a brighter outlook on life.
Ok, so some of you may read this and think, I don’t feel like this when I have finished my workout. Ok maybe you haven’t had the right experience yet, think about what you love to do maybe it’s going for a walk, jog, run or bike ride in the park where you can enjoy the scenery, or maybe a class where you feel the energy from the instructor. Maybe you have a goal; to lose weight, tone up, improve your stamina and so on. If you started to hit that goal you would want to keep that momentum going, right? And the mental health benefits you will gain will change your life and perspective on workouts forever.
What workout works for you?
Personally, I love to dance and could dance all day, there are so many ways you can exercise, and it doesn’t have to be a chore. You don’t have to slog your guts in the gym on the treadmill or on the weight machines, try something new and maybe you might just find the perfect workout for you. I personally like to mix it up, Zumba, Ballet, Jazz, Functional Training, and Pilates. They all give me different benefits and joy, but like I said I could dance all day. And you may think well she is a dancer I couldn’t possibly do a dance class. But that’s where you are wrong it’s never too late to try something new whether it’s dance or another discipline.
It doesn’t matter if you have good coordination or not, many of my clients that join a dance class have never danced before and they don’t know their left from right, but it is honestly amazing how in a few months their coordination, rhythm, energy, confidence, and self-esteem as improved tremendously. Ok, I have gone into more detail regarding dancing, but like I said this could be any discipline.
Don’t look back
Once you find something that you can enjoy and stick to it, you will never look at exercise in the same way. It won’t be a case that you don’t want to do your workout. You will look forward to it because you are doing the workout that you enjoy. It’s all about lifestyle changes and it doesn’t happen overnight, and you may find it hard to get into a routine to begin. But if you can find that class, personal trainer, or outdoor sport that you like it will become part of your life. You will find that your emotions are more stable, you feel more energetic, stress levels will have decreased, as well as the feeling of anxiety or depression and you will sleep better.
What is not to love about getting your body moving, with all the physical and mental benefits how can you say no.
Plan of action:
- Find out what exercise you enjoy.
- Set yourself a reasonable goal.
- Stick to it – It doesn’t happen overnight so give yourself time and think of this as a lifestyle change.
Challenge yourself by getting into a regular exercise routine and you will see the results for yourself.