The majority of people go to the gym in order to achieve physical goals. Common aims are losing weight, building muscle, or strengthening the heart and lungs. All of these are fantastic reasons for staying active! Exercise is also one of the most effective ways to improve your mental health, in a number of ways!
Firstly we shouldn’t ignore the physical benefits of going to the gym. Using exercise to get in shape can have a positive impact on your well-being. Looking good makes you feel good! It’s also great to know that you’re fit and healthy, enabling you to enjoy life’s luxuries guilt-free.
Going to the Gym is Great for Stress Reduction
Under pressure at work?
Leading a busy lifestyle with little time for relaxation?
Struggling to manage your family finances?
Got some important exams coming up that you’re worried about?
We all deal with stress at some level. Many of us on a daily basis. We all react differently to stress, and some people are able to function well under a lot of pressure. Others cope differently and may struggle to cope or become unwell under a great deal of pressure.
If you’re experiencing stress, you might be familiar with some of the ways the body reacts physically. When stressed, your muscles may become tense (especially in the neck and shoulders), your heart rate can increase, and you might find it difficult to sleep at night.
Regular exercise can alleviate these! Not only can it relieve the symptoms when they are already there, but exercise can prevent you from feeling stressed. When we exercise, certain chemicals in the brain that act to alleviate stress are boosted. Exercise also acts as a distraction, giving you something else to focus on from whatever is causing the stress.
A Gym workout can boost your mood and sense of well-being!
Ever been to the gym and found a workout challenging? Felt like giving up?
Think about how you feel once you’ve finished? Pretty good right?!
Two main factors contribute to this ‘Feel -Good’ sensation after an exercise session. Firstly the sense of satisfaction! You’ve achieved what you wanted to do! Perhaps you’ve lifted heavier weights than you have done before or ran a longer distance than you did last time. Maybe you haven’t done as much exercise as you’d like to recently… and are feeling good for motivating yourself to do a session! Great for you! You should be feeling great!
Exercise also has a chemical effect on the brain that contributes to your good mood. When we exercise and our muscles are working, the brain releases chemicals called endorphins- you may have heard of these! Endorphins are powerful chemicals that act on the parts of the brain controlling your mood- making you feel great!
Going to the gym doesn’t have to be boring and repetitive. At Vibe Fitness, our personal trainers and classes will ensure you stay motivated, socialise, and most importantly have fun whilst exercising!
Going to the gym can help treat mental illnesses…
Every year, 1 in 4 of us will experience a mental health problem. That’s a worrying figure and one that seems to be on the rise. Exercise has been scientifically proven to relieve and treat the symptoms associated with a number of mental health conditions.
The endorphins released during exercise which we’ve mentioned are so good at boosting mood, that they can treat symptoms of depression. Studies have also shown that exercise is as effective as taking antidepressant medication when treating mild to moderate depression. What’s even better is that, unlike the medications, exercise has no side effects!
Similar effects have been seen for a range of mental health problems such as Anxiety and ADHD.
Exercise helps us to build up resilience, in working hard to achieve a goal. This is great practice for overcoming the other challenges we’ll face in life, be that at work, with relationships or financial issues. Exercise is a positive way of dealing with such emotional challenges, which can avoid unhelpful habits such as turning to drugs and alcohol when under stress.
So.. want to look good, feel good and prevent ill health? Join the gym!
If you’re looking to improve your mental well-being, then get in touch today!
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