When you’ve had a particularly tough day it’s typical that you’ll want to relieve your negative emotions through one of two ways: you’ll either want to relax with your favourite TV soap and a cup of tea or alternatively you might decide to hit the gym for a big workout. In this article we’ll look at some key reasons why exercise can be a great choice for de-stressing and improving your well being.
Stress and Endorphins
Physical activities are known to boost the production of endorphins. These are a group of hormones which are secreted from your nervous system and serve to block pain signals from the brain. However, they serve another important purpose in creating our feelings of pleasure. So if you’ve had a particularly hard day then some heavy action in the gym can help release some feel-good hormones.
Self-Esteem
Aside from the instant rush that physical activities can bring there are also the long term benefits to consider.
Many people struggle with low self esteem, and the reasons why can vary. Some people begin to struggle with self confidence from a very young age, perhaps through bullying, unhappiness over their physical traits or a particularly embarrassing event which happened to them. For others, it might be that they lose their self confidence through bereavement, illness, or through the breakdown of a relationship.
While statistically many people who fall into these categories will deal with their low self-esteem through unhealthy habits such as eating disorders, this is never a permanent fix. In fact, these types of habits can create a repetitive pattern which has a negative impact.
One way to combat poor self-esteem is through a regular pattern of exercise, which can help improve your mood and allow you to think clearly. On the physical side of things, it can help to clear up your skin, improve your physique and to lose or put on a healthy amount of weight.
General Health
Aside from the impact on your stress levels and your self-confidence there are a whole host of other ways that introducing some exercise into your daily routine can help improve your health. Research suggests that some of the leading types of deadly illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes, colon cancer and breast cancer can be avoided through regular exercise and other ailments such as arthritis, depression, dementia and fractures can also be impacted significantly.
How to get started
Raising your activity levels doesn’t have to be frightening and there are many different routes back into exercise. Low impact exercises such as Yoga, Pilates and swimming can be effective if you have had injuries to your body, are particularly overweight or if you are new to exercise. Alternatively, if you are ready for high impact exercises then jogging, weight training and interval training can be beneficial.
Exercise is just one way that you can boost your endorphins and improve your mood after a tough day. See our guide ‘20 proven ways to wind down and relax’ for more tips on stress busting.
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