A daily regimen of modest exercise has a powerful effect on the mind as well as the body. When you feel better, you think better. Motion balances emotion. Exercise promotes physical health by reducing the risk and progression of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer. It also:
Improves Mood.
Students who exercise show lower levels of anxiety, shyness, loneliness, and hopelessness than less active peers.
Moderate, regular exercise improves mood, vigor, psychological well-being, creativity, and self-esteem in all age groups.
Regular exercise can reduce symptoms of depression, and even alleviate major depression.
Reduces Stress.
A single bout of exercise can be a valuable short-term therapy for reducing tension, depression, anger, and confusion.
A ten-minute brisk walk will yield one hour of increased energy and reduced tension, whereas a sugary snack can result in fatigue and tension.
Moderate-intensity exercise is more beneficial than high-intensity exercise for anxiety reduction.
Regular exercise increases the ability to handle stress by lowering stress hormones.
Boosts Brain Power.
Exercise stimulates neuronal growth and blood flow in the brain, and increases neurotransmitter availability and efficiency.
Aerobic exercise improves mental fitness, particularly the ability to plan, coordinate, and filter out distracting information.
Physical activity enhances learning and memory.
Exercising children learn better.
Brisk walking for 45 minutes 3 times a week can improve mental processing abilities that normally decline with age.
What is the best form of exercise? It’s the one you are willing to stick with! Have a plan for every season. Enjoy brisk walking, hiking, jogging, bicycling, swimming, golfing, skiing, or canoeing. Chores such as splitting wood, raking, and gardening provide many health benefits. Keep your gym bag packed, and in the car, to remind you to go to the gym as part of your work or school day. Work with your health care provider or educator to adopt a plan that will work for you.
God blessed man with exercise as an antidote to many mental and physical maladies, and He will help both improve—as you get up and move! Movement creates positive changes in physical, mental, and emotional states. So, when you feel down, get up and get moving. What exercise are you going to enjoy today?
(Submitted by Betty Dean. Used by Permission from www.lifestylematters.com. Courtesy of LifeSpring – Resources for Hope and Healing, Stuart, VA.)
