I have battled stress and anxiety for years. The stress that my body got was too immense that it started to impact my lifestyle and my health. Aside from medicines and diet, exercise was one of the factors that helped me become calmer. It can help you too against stress and anxiety if you constantly commit to an exercise routine. How does exercise help people? Read on to find out what I have discovered about the benefits of working out.
Your Social Life Improves
I have become less stressed because I work out primarily in a gym. I get to talk to a lot of people and socialize. That alone has eased my anxiety and made me calmer. I get more opportunities to interact with people, ordinary folks with ordinary lives, same as mine. We talk about our apprehensions about everyday life. This keeps me calm knowing that there are other people who share my insecurities. I also learned from them some tips on coping better with stress and anxiety.
You Get More Endorphins
Vigorous exercise enables the body to release endorphins. Endorphins are hormones that are responsible for a person’s happy mood. That is why distance runners get their fit from running because they have become addicted to endorphins. I find laughter and a good exercise as effective ways to feel happy deep inside. This feeling inevitably leads to a reduction of the symptoms of stress and anxiety.
You Get to Learn New Skills
What I learned about working out is that I get to try things that I never tried before. I knew that I can run but I never imagined that I can see myself running in marathon. You will never get the chance of learning more about yourself until you tried it. I learned more about my abilities that can help me fight off stress that comes to me every day. It is when you stick to your exercise regimen that you will be able to realize that your body is capable of doing activities that require tougher physical strength.
You Learn to be Open
Before I became hooked with exercise I was timid and shy. Working out allowed my mind to be more open. This led me to accept the fact that there are things that I can do something about and there is some physical stuff that is beyond my control. Working out in a gym and being surrounded with health conscious individuals have broadened my view in life. It helped me to have a paradigm shift in attitude and outlook in life.
You Learn to Overcome Frustrations
There is one thing that working out has taught me and that is to overcome frustrations. It was hard going to the gym in the first few sessions. I was sore all over. I thought about quitting during the first few weeks. Guess what, I survived. The experience gave me new resolve to fight off uncertainties better than before. I learned that wallowing on my frustrations will lead me nowhere. Instead, I used these frustrations as my inspiration to do better, improve my health and overall lifestyle.
You Learn to Resolve Conflicts
The best thing about working out is that you can easily resolve conflicts. I also used it to settle a score with a co-worker. It is friendly, less violent and healthier. Spending time in the gym has also improved my patience. I have learned to be more considerate about other people’s mistakes and it has opened up a lot of perspectives for me thereby improving my ability to resolve conflicts.
I find it easier to laugh now than before because I have folks in the gym to back me up. I have more reasons to go and exercise because I know that there are people genuinely caring for me aside from my family and friends. Most of all, working out in the gym has made me healthier and more productive in the workplace and at home.
