Saturday, June 30, 2012

"I Don't Work-Out for Vanity, I Work-Out for Better Quality of Life: Part 1"


We've all been there, you just have one-of-those days where things go wrong starting right out of the gate when you wake up and just stay that way for the remainder of your day....
We live fast-paced lives.  A lot of times we're in a hurry and when you compound that with stress from work, school, or whatever the source, your day can spiral out of control with no warning at all.
Now, before you call your buddies to haul you up to the ole watering hole to numb the pain, or before you go for a session of retail-therapy, why don't you read the rest of this and see how exercise can calm your mind and allow you to better handle stress.
Let's get something straight, we cannot, I repeat, cannot completely eliminate stress out of our lives. As much as we may feel like we're in complete control, there are other players and other variables at work around us.  What we must do is implement a plan of action that allows us to better manage those stressors or uncontrollable variables around us.  After all, we like a little excitement in our lives, don't we? It just feels better knowing that we can get ourselves through situations when necessary, and it starts with OUR minds.

This post is going to discuss exercise and it's psychological benefits.


When I was in college I ran as my source of exercise, and I told everyone it was my stress relief.  It really was.  It became a great thing for me to do during a study break.  I just hit the pavement and let my mind wander, no worries.  I looked forward to my runs.  It was the perfect time to unwind, reflect, and let my body do the work of what it instinctively knew to do.  There's a good reason this benefited me, research has shown for years now that exercise is a natural stress reliever.  Exercise releases a flood of hormones like endorphins or the "feel good" hormones that improve our mood.  And on the subject of mood, exercise is a great alternative to Antidepressant medications as it has been shown in studies to decrease depression.  To be specific here, we are talking about people who adopted a regular exercise routine of at least 30 minutes per day, 3 to 5 days per week.

Exercise is a great outlet to release frustrations that may pile up.  Remember earlier, instead of 12 ounce curls at the pub, do some real curls at your favorite local fitness establishment.  It's more fun to let out some frustration in there than it may be creating new frustrations with the splitting headache you may be dealing with the next morning after the bender.
An active body has been directly linked to an active mind.  People who have a regular exercise routine have better clarity, focus, and concentration.  Why is this? Well, consistent exercise makes you less prone to grogginess and lapses in concentration.  Exercise also releases a hormone called epinephrine (adrenaline) that increases blood flow, which increase oxygen to your brain, which makes you more alert and able to deal with stress efficiently.
Since I mentioned your brain, exercise has been shown to stimulate the formation of new brain cells and specifically stimulates the areas of the brain in charge of memory and learning.  Damn! Exercise can make you smarter..........Yessir! And without the reading and studying stuff.
Exercise has also been shown to improve sleep.  You fall asleep quicker with longer durations of uninterrupted sleep and wake up feeling more refreshed. Who doesn't want or need that...

With the benefits of an alert, energized mind brought about through a regular exercise program, the days can be a little easier to handle.  So, when you're in the gym, let's think of that noodle between your ears as being a muscle that we'll call your "strength of mind".  A strong mind can dictate the attitude that we are going to carry with us throughout the day.  I feel better knowing my strong mind will allow me to handle the ups and downs of life a little easier.   It's also great to know there are other benefits to you busting your ass in the gym that may not be as physically evident. Oh, and that make you smarter thing too, that's pretty cool.  So, what are waiting for? Go hit the gym, hit the water, hit the road, whatever....Exercise and make your mind stronger by tapping into the great psychological benefits of adopting a regular exercise routine!