It is for your mind and spirit - not just your body!
If I told you to start an exercise routine, what would be the first thought that came to your mind? I can probably guess a few things…. “I’m not in shape”, “It’s too hard”, “I don’t know what I’m doing”, “There isn’t time for that.” Now, what if I told you that you needed to start taking heart medication or insulin and fill your days with doctor’s appointments? You’d probably say that you’d do whatever you needed to do to be healthy, right? We have to make time for “those” things, right? And, we have to take those medications, right? Keep reading……
So, what if I told you that exercising today could prevent that heart medication later? No, really. What if I told you that walking around your neighborhood tonight, could increase your mood and decrease depression? Yup, sure can! Interested in hearing more? Stay with me...
I am not saying that medications aren’t important. I am not for one moment saying we don’t need doctors. There are certainly genetics that play a role in some conditions and we need the medical field for that. Just as we conduct routine maintenance on our vehicles to keep them running optimally, we need to do the same for our bodies…which are our machines!
In early summer, I learned about Revelation Wellness (www.revelationwellness.org) and in August I started the Revelation Wellness Instructor Training. There’s so much great content and I’m learning so much. There will be SO much more to come on this! In the process of this training, I’m learning more and more about the way our bodies work. The benefits of exercise are incredible - it can be used not only for stress prevention, but as an intervention for overall health and well-being.
These benefits are pretty clear in the graphic below. But let’s chat about just a few:
Improved Sleep - When my kiddos were younger, I used to always work out around 8-9 pm. Most people recommend not working out within a couple hours of bedtime. For me, I had terrible insomnia but if I worked out around 8 and then went to bed around 10, I would fall right to sleep. My body was tired and I crashed. Regardless of when you exercise, and we each need to find the best routine for us, you will begin to sleep better. It may not be an overnight miracle fix, but overtime you will have improved sleep. Just watch the FitBit and Apple Watch sleep tracker for the data!
Reduced Stress Levels – Oh, don’t we have a lot of that. Especially now, in the middle of a global pandemic! When we exercise, our body releases endorphins which are our “feel good” hormones. The other cool part is that this lowers the cortisol levels in our body (cortisol is the hormone we release when we’re stressed). By design, and chemical makeup, we are less stressed. And let’s be honest, have you ever left the gym regretting a workout??
Boosts Brain Power - I am not a neuroscientist and I’ve never played one on TV. However, there’s some great research, including an article from Harvard Medical School (https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/can-you-grow-new-brain-cells) that shows individuals who exercise produce 2-3 times the amount of NEW brain cells than someone who doesn’t engage in exercise. Here’s the deal. It was once thought that we were born with a certain number of brain cells and they died off as we aged. But, new research shows this is just not true. Exercising literally fills your brain with new brain cells. I mean - we can boost the power of our brains just by getting aerobic/cardio workouts!!!!
Increased well-being - not that the others aren’t important but let’s think about this…If you have less anxiety, less depression, increased self-esteem, more energy and are more confident then you’ll have increased well-being, right?
I hope you are intrigued. I don’t need you to start exercising today. I mean, I want you to but that’s not my intent. My intent is for you to begin to understand the benefits of exercise on mental health. The next step and maybe the next blog post will be a challenge. Until then, start moving or at least start thinking about moving.