We all know how routine exercise can benefit our physical appearance, but have you ever considered what it can do for our minds? Exercise is a mind and body experience and for this reason, it impacts both your physical and mental state.
Exercising regularly can:
- boost your mood,
- improve your sleep,
- increase your happiness,
- improve your memory,
- decrease stress and anxiety,
- and it can motivate you to eat healthier foods that work best for you.
Studies have shown that exercising regularly can have a natural antidepressant effect for many reasons, such as increasing serotonin levels and stimulating new brain cell growth that lowers the risk of age-related diseases.
Sometimes it’s difficult to establish a regular exercise routine as we can all feel uninspired with our usual workouts, or we can be too busy with family and work responsibilities that leave us feeling demotivated and off track.
Finding an exercise activity we love helps with motivation, consistency, and with establishing a sustainable exercise routine. Exercising regularly also improves your self-esteem as you feel in charge of your body, satisfied, powerful, and accomplished within yourself. Therefore, exercise is indeed a mind and body experience.
By meeting even small exercise goals, such as 5 minutes a day, you’ll feel a sense of achievement which goes a long way in improving your overall mindset and mental well-being.
Exercise can be seen as a sacred ritual; I see it as a moment of celebrating the beautiful perfect machine that keeps us alive.
“When you look good, you feel good (and when you feel good, your confidence in your appearance also improves).”
I built my online studio “SHAPES STUDIO” pre-pandemic because I wanted to help my clients to have a regular exercise routine from 5 to 40 minutes a day wherever they were in the world. SHAPES provides varied workouts so members never feel bored or frustrated with the same type of exercises, and utilises Pilates based workouts to always keep the mind-body experience at the centre of their practice.
Exercise, like nutrition, is bio-individual. You need to understand and listen to your body’s preferences. If you are a morning person, try to incorporate a small workout before you begin your day, or if you feel like your energy level decreases in the afternoon, you may want to consider taking a break and go for a quick walk to refocus your mind. Just listen to your body, and work around your unique lifestyle. What can be ideal for someone else may not be right for you!
If exercising is outside your comfort zone, start by incorporating small goals into your daily routine. Your mindset can play a big role in your success, so check these tips to keep yourself motivated and start from today:
1) Set Small Goals:
Each day, write your goals in your calendar, with the time you want to start and finish.
2) Visualisation:
Start a vision board and collect images that inspire you. Seeing yourself exercising and becoming fitter generates positive energy and momentum that will give you the motivation to keep going when you feel low.
More about visualisation you might find in this blog post: Why can’t your dreams come true?
3) Affirmation:
Every morning spend 2-3 minutes to write positive affirmations about yourself and how you want to see yourself. You can start with: “I am strong, I am powerful, I exercise for my health, I love myself therefore I want to take care of my body and my mind”
You might find this blog post interesting: 6 Simple Tips to Improve Your Mindset and to Become More Positive
4) Let Go of what you Define as Exercise:
Everything counts as a form of movement and has its benefits. Walking with a friend, going for a short run, playing a sport you enjoy, dancing in your room, climbing steps, walking in your own house, 10 jumping jacks, 5 minutes of stretching, and even vigorous cleaning. Just engage your body and you will notice that you will begin to establish the exercise routine you love and that you look forward to do every day.
A healthy body is a healthy mind! Ready to invest in your body, mind, and soul? Let’s get moving!
If you want to check out my online studio, please visit here.
To schedule an initial consultation and to talk more about your goals, please contact me here.
Paola x
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