The Best Mood-Boosting Exercises
Contrary to popular belief, exercise is not meant only for the physical body. It also helps enhance one’s mind. Over the past few years, the public at large has started to embrace the mindedness movement, and the benefits of intense exercise when it comes to brain health.
High-intensity interval training has gained a huge following for both weight loss and emotional health. HIIT is a cardiovascular exercise strategy that purposely alternates between short bursts of intense, anaerobic exercise with less-intense recovery periods. The swift changing of these two types of exercises causes the release of feel-good hormones and neurotransmitters that work together to increase your mood, energy levels, memory, and self-esteem.
Exercise can be a great way to boost self-confidence and provide a source of release from any pent up stress. Oftentimes, the exhaustion people feel after a workout is a blend of tired muscles and a relaxed sense of self. Endorphins are one of the reasons for this. These chemicals inside the human body are released when aerobic exercise causes you to get your heart rate up. Examples include jogging, swimming, cycling, or walking. When runners speak about the runner’s high, they are often referring to this.
Exercise does not need to be exhausting in order to be effective. Yoga and Tai Chi are very popular among people who seek spiritual and mental health as well. Holistic health is on the rise because it combines core strength and a powerful workout with a sense of relaxation and a focus on mindfulness breathing techniques. Physical posture is also a main element, which positively affects many connected systems in the human body. Yoga can teach you how to relax, how to let go of tension, and how to stretch out tight muscles.
Experts unanimously agree that any exercise needs to be enjoyable in order to be sustainable for the long-term. For this reason, it’s recommended that you try various forms of exercise but then stick with the ones you enjoy. That being said, humans are capable of falling into a rut, so another strong piece of advice is to vary your workout routines through a method called cross-training. This would include several days a week of walking, for example, followed by a few days of strength training, blended with a day or two of swimming. Depending on what you enjoy, it’s a great way to keep from getting stuck in an unfulfilling routine.