For most of us, happiness and exercise are two important aspects of our daily lives. Exercise keeps us fit while happiness… well, who doesn’t want happiness? Unfortunately though, exercising is not fun for everyone. The hard work and stamina, even the additional time in our daily routine required for working out, is not acceptable to all. So happiness and exercising become two mutually exclusive items on the common man’s timetable.
However, the fact remains that exercise is proven to keep you happier, if you look at it with a positive attitude. We aren’t mentioning the gym- freaks or the body builders here, who enjoy working out. We are referring to the men and women who hate to leave the comfort of their beds for even a measly 30 minutes, five days a week in order to exert the body. It is important for you to keep your body healthy. Moreover, when the same thing is providing you happiness and other advantages, why run from it?
Here’s listing 6 reasons why (and how) exercise makes you happier-
Exercise- a natural happy drug
Exercising encourages your brain to release a chemical called Dopamine, which is a necessary neurotransmitter in the brain for feelings of happiness and pleasure. Since our body keeps losing out on this chemical, we need to indulge in activities such as various forms of exercising that help in maintaining this supply. So get off the bed, and get yourself some happy hormones NOW!
Fitter you = Happier you
It is no surprising news that exercising helps you maintain a healthy body weight in addition to its other advantages. Imagine the smile that comes on your face when you slide easily into that old favourite dress, and the excitement when you look into the mirror and see a wonderfully toned body staring back at you. Yes, that feeling will only arrive if you keep exercising. So do not be lazy and keep that body as well as morale running high. 2017 could be your year of fitness!
Exercise helps you refresh and re- energize
While most of us believe that workouts drain our bodies of our energy, we could not be more wrong. Exercise has been proven to help people feel more energetic and refreshed, which helps in increasing their productivity as individuals/professionals. When your body feels less tired and rejuvenated, it will provide you with the stamina to go out after a long day, stay up and alive for family functions and important meetings, and generally help you be more productive. Needless to say, all these things will lead to only happier moments.
It calms you
Exercise need not be according to a particular trainer, or confined to a particular type. It is your body and you have the right to work for it as you please. Find a workout or activity that you feel happy or interested in, and it will definitely help you achieve mental balance. It may be zumba, water aerobics, aerial yoga, or simply a jog around the block. IF you enjoy doing your workout, you will return happier for the remainder of your day. Not only will it give you some time off (alone), it will also provide you will clarity of thoughts and calmness. So let exercising be your happy ‘me’ time. Involve meditation and yoga in your routine to help you stay calm, and also stay fit.
Exercise De-stresses
When you exercise, you subject yourself to a low-level form of stress by raising your heart rate and triggering a burst of hormonal changes. In this way, you are actually immunising your body to stress, strengthening its response to stress inducing factors. Moreover, when exercise manages to calm you down and refresh you, stress is more likely to disappear from your body at the earliest. So let happiness take the place of stress in your body and your life.
Exercise stabilizes sleep patterns
Many people, especially youngsters of this generation, are prey to terrible sleep patterns. They sleep at ungodly hours and wake up late; in case they wake up early, their body receives an inappropriate amount of sleep constantly, day after day. Many working men and women face acute insomnia too. Exercising daily and keeping active through the day helps your body maintain its emotional balance and significantly improves your sleep quality. In short, it smoothens your life out. If you aren’t cranky and sleepy through the day, you will feel better about yourself and your work. In turn, your daily routines will be efficient and you will be happy.
Do consider the benefits of daily exercise in moderation. Work on yourself and your life. Happiness is a state of mind and only you can induce it for your own self. No external factor will help you. So get going.
