Exercise….quite a daunting word for anyone who lives a more idle lifestyle. However, there is great news for those of us less active individuals. After being stationary for a while our bodies begin to crave physical activity.
We not only start to have aches and pains, but also deal with stress in less positive ways. It has been proven that exercise is not only healthy for your body, but also for your mental well-being. Exercising allows endorphins, or pain-killing chemicals in the brain, to release and results in a much calmer and happier person.
The aches, pains, and stress dissipate causing a clearer mind. Self-esteem and confidence levels soar as we strengthen our muscles and tone our bodies. Any stress, physical or mental, we are facing just melts away during the activity and assists us in being more level headed during other stressful times.
Not only does exercise work to our benefit mentally, but it also gives us the chance to prevent such ailments as joint and muscle pain, heart disease, stroke, and even various cancers. Life becomes easier once pain, anxiety, and stress are controlled.
When You Decide to Start Exercising and Take That First Step….
Whether it’s been years since you last exercised, or are new to the activity, always remember to start out slow, otherwise it can be quite daunting and you may not stick with it. A slow and gentle routine will show the best results until we build a tolerance up and push our bodies, and minds, even further.
Never just jump up and go full force or you may injure yourself. As you get stronger and exercise more you will be able to build into a much longer session. Sometimes physical workouts are not quite what we seek. Another form of exercise is yoga and it can be quite beneficial as well.
Great Exercise for Stress is Yoga
Physical exercise is fantastic for relieving stress, but there are times we need something a bit different. That’s where yoga comes in as it will improve whatever physical levels you are currently, help strengthen and give you better balance, and one of the best results from yoga is the clearing of the mind and an improvement in feelings and dealing with stressful events.
Yoga allows you to reach enlightenment using a mixture of physical and mental exercises. One of the mental exercises is considered mindfulness meditation. Yoga has been known to help alleviate ailments such as high blood pressure, migraines, menopause, and a variety of other chronic illnesses.
This type of exercise actually promotes relaxation, stress reduction, and anxiety relief. If you decide you don’t want to exercise alone, there are classes for both physical exercise and yoga. The classes will give you support and friendship through socializing with others in the class which promotes good mental health.
The question is not whether calisthenics or yoga benefits you physically, mentally, or both, but which type of exercise are you going to try first? A good idea is to combine both for optimal physical and mental health.
