Being physically fit can help you fit in your old dress or jeans, but it also can lead you to a healthier and happier state of mind
—
The Latin expression “Mens sana in corpore sano” means that if we maintain good physical condition, our mental state will also be great. There isn’t one without the other.
Experts will tell you that taking care of your body is a way of making yourself feel better — happier and more confident. Your self-esteem and your image of yourself can also be improved through physical exercise. But what actually happens when you devote some of your time to your physical fitness?
Improved Self Image
Our mind is the place where everything starts, including the image we have of ourselves and our self-esteem. It’s no wonder, then, that doing exercise, yoga, tai chi, or even meditation will have such a strong effect on our wellbeing. All of these practices help to improve your physical fitness and flexibility; they also help to decrease stress, anger, and even anxiety and depression.
This follows a logical chain of events — people who suffer from anxiety or depression or who feel angry at themselves and others generally lack high self-esteem. But when you start reducing the intensity of these negative feelings, it will simultaneously build your confidence. And let’s not forget that these activities also regulate your blood pressure and insulin resistance, as well as the urge to eat sugary food. It all leads to reducing weight and abdominal fat, which will also affect the way you feel about yourself.
Moreover, meditation techniques that are built into yoga routines stimulate your prefrontal cortex, the part of your brain responsible for your feeling of happiness. In other words, a person who feels happy will also feel good about themselves and their bodies. As a result, your emotions will regulate, leaving you with a better self-image as well as the ability to create better relationships with others.
Increased Energy and Health
It’s no secret that regular physical activity makes your body healthier. More precisely, exercise makes your bones stronger and lowers the risk of many chronic diseases, including heart diseases, type 2 diabetes, stroke, and some forms of cancer.
A healthy weight is crucial to your overall health since obesity is the root of many serious illnesses. Some people with excess weight can end up developing a hernia over time that may lead to a necessary hernia operation.
When you do strenuous physical activity, your body gets more oxygen and increases your energy level. It makes you feel great in the moment plus in the long run if you continue exercising regularly.
A daily physical workout of at least 20-30 minutes can also stave off boredom as you are more energized and motivated throughout the day. It will also give you the opportunity to work out with a friend. Spending more time with positive people that love you and make you feel good is a great boost to your self-esteem.
Improved Physical Appearance
We may say that physical appearance doesn’t matter to us, but this isn’t completely true, is it? We may not be so strict with others when it comes to looks but we tend to be quite judgmental when it comes to our own reflection in the mirror. We all compare ourselves to others, trying to improve something on our bodies and then change it. Consequently, we may find ourselves in the vicious circle:
We feel bad about how we look, which leads to bad habits, which bring us more health issues.
Regular physical exercise can change that. It will improve your posture, balance your weight, make your muscles more visibly toned, and make your figure leaner. People who suffer from low self-esteem will find aerobic exercises especially beneficial. As your physical appearance improves, so will your confidence. It would suffice to do 20-60 minutes of aerobic exercises at least 3-4 days a week in order to notice significant results, but if you add to it 8-10 different resistance exercises only 2 or 3 times a week, it will vastly improve your best body assets.
Sense of Achievement
It’s important to track your progress when you commit to regularly working out. There are many apps that can help you keep track of your weight, frequency and length of exercise, and also the number of repetitions to increase over time. You can also take pictures of yourself to monitor your progress. When you start noticing positive changes, allow yourself to celebrate. Share it with people close to you and give yourself a treat to reward yourself for your achievement.
The great thing about this newfound sense of achievement is that it improves your self-esteem.
There aren’t many things that can make us feel as good about ourselves than the knowledge that we committed to something and stuck to it.
The better you feel about yourself, the more you’ll want to keep feeling better about yourself. If you persist in regularly working out, you will definitely be taking steps to improve your confidence as well as your love for yourself — something that each of us should feel every day of our lives.
A word of caution: If you have particularly low self-esteem, physical exercise could become addictive, even compulsive. You could end up equating your self-worth with how much you exercise. If you find that you are feeling bad or angry at yourself if you miss a day of workout, you are missing the point of why you started exercising in the first place — to feel better about yourself and achieve healthier mind, body and balance in life. So take it easy, do it out of love, and watch yourself blossom!
You may also enjoy Morning Yoga & Meditation for Energy, Awareness and Intention by Carter Miles
Grab your free Accountability Cleanse PDF and the beautiful Best Self Newsletter to jumpstart your journey toward your most vibrant life. This quick-read eGuide from Kristen Noel, Editor-In-Chief, unpacks the #1 key to personal growth, to create a life of inner peace and holistic health. Enter your email below and we’ll send it right over!