The mental benefits of exercise

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Atlantique
Atlantique Posts: 2,484 Member
in Motivation and Support
I'm one of those folks who does well when exercising and just goes to hell when I'm not. And it's not the calories.

When I exercise, I come to love my body. I respect it. I love and respect what it can do, and I'm always surprised by how much it can do if I try. When I see what it can do, I care about it. I don't want to hinder it. My relationship to my body is totally changed by exercise.

When I respect and take pride in what my body can do (even when I'm not thrilled with how it looks) I take better care of it. I get more sleep. I eat better. I drink less(in the alcohol sense). I feel like I'm nurturing something precious, and that something precious is me!

This isn't true for everyone, I know. And I know that the big ticket to weight loss is proper eating. But for ME. When I use my body, I like it better, and that leads me to making better dietary choices.

Anyone else find this to be true?

Replies

  • taiyola
    taiyola Posts: 964 Member
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    I find it helps lift my mood as I have suffered from Depression on and off for 9 years, and it seems to make me feel more alive :smokin:
  • Atlantique
    Atlantique Posts: 2,484 Member
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    I find it helps lift my mood as I have suffered from Depression on and off for 9 years, and it seems to make me feel more alive :smokin:

    Excellent point! Exercise can definitely elevate your mood. :bigsmile:
  • farmwife80
    farmwife80 Posts: 30 Member
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    I agree. Exercising releases powerful positive endorphines that are great for mental healthiness! So why, even though I know this to be true.....is it such an effort to get the butt off the couch to get it done?? I have started putting on the 'oldies' radio station thoughout the day and just the beat gets me WANTING to move....dance, walk, exercise...whatever....it is what gets me going lately. :bigsmile:
  • GingerKid
    GingerKid Posts: 86
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    I use exercise as a part of managing my depression and anxiety. I can be *thisclose* to popping an Xanax to deal with my anxiety, but am on my way to the gym, so I wait, workout and then see if need it still. 100% of the time, I do not! :)

    My issue is food. I also use it to deal with depression and anxiety, but it isn't in the healthy sense! LOL

    Grrr.
  • Atlantique
    Atlantique Posts: 2,484 Member
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    I agree. Exercising releases powerful positive endorphines that are great for mental healthiness! So why, even though I know this to be true.....is it such an effort to get the butt off the couch to get it done?? I have started putting on the 'oldies' radio station thoughout the day and just the beat gets me WANTING to move....dance, walk, exercise...whatever....it is what gets me going lately. :bigsmile:

    Getting out the door is more than half the battle., agreed!

    I commit myself to 20 minutes a day. I don't usually feel good until I'm at least 10 minutes into a workout. But then, you just try to stop me! LOL so the starting is the hard part, not the DOING.
  • radarseven
    radarseven Posts: 50 Member
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    I find exercise to be its own reward - the more I do it, the more I enjoy it. It's like an upward spiral. :)
  • yates01
    yates01 Posts: 9
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    TOTALLY agree!! The hardest part is actually starting/ getting out the door/ getting on the treadmill/ whatever it may be, the hardest part is the start. Once im into my workout im feeling great! the more i sweat the better i feel.

    just don't know why its is so hard to actually get moving each time, when i know how good i will feel???
  • emilyrosedye
    emilyrosedye Posts: 66
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    Awesome post and I totally agree. Some mornings I wake up and literally cant be bothered to do anything more then drag myself out of bed and veg on the sofa, but other times when I wake up feeling refreshed after a good nights sleep and no alcohol the night before I was up ready and rearing to get out the door and go for for a run and those are the mornings I when I feel positive all day and make more of a concious decision to stick to my healthy diet.
  • myofibril
    myofibril Posts: 4,500 Member
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    Anyone else find this to be true?

    Definitely.

    Think like an athlete = train like an athlete + eat like an athlete = perform like an athlete = look like an athlete (nice added bonus ;)
  • debbiequack
    debbiequack Posts: 275 Member
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    I don't think that exercise is a miracle or anything, but I do feel better when I do it. I'm able to think more clearly, and I am less stressed at work.

    Keep up the good work at nurturing yourself and your body!

    Debbie

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