- Rob Lawrence
Can Exercise Improve Mental Health?
"Exercise, as a complimentary therapy has done more for my mental health than any medication has"
Up until about 3 years ago, I HATED EXERCISE. I was one of those lazy fat lads who always used excuses like "I'm too busy" or "I'm happy with the way I am" or "I can't afford it".........
Now???? Well now I'm like one of those converted self righteous ex smoking preachers who everyone hates..... I'm alright with that though
Well, I gotta tell you, folks. After a 12 week program with Caveman Training back in 2016, I was converted... Now, I love the gym, I love the feeling you get after good workout and I'm not gonna lie. Losing the fat and building some muscle has done wonders for my body confidence
So....
If you let me I'll try to convert you to the wonders of exercise..... It's changed everything for me..... I'd love for it to do the same for you
Let me Tell you why....
In the most basic way exercise offers our brains the release of some good feeling chemicals called "Endorphins". These little buggers effect how we think and feel and the more we have of them the more happy we are in life.
What else is affected by exercise?
Fresh Clear Focused Mind
As a person that enjoyed his weekends to the most a foggy mind was a way of life for me. The first half of the week was recovering and the latter part of the week was spent working and looking forward to the weekend (It was a constant repetitive cycle).
Nowadays I can't describe the benefits of exercise on the mind. It clears all the cobwebs away, I'm more productive and focused and the quality of my work is 100 times better than it was before I started to incorporate exercise into my life.
Body Confidence
I debated with myself quite a lot whether to put these pictures of me before and after in this blog but it is an honest representation of my journey with exercise and how far I've come.
"I could have counted the times I have taken off my T-shirt in public over the last 10 years on 1 hand!!"
Now that I have been working out over the past couple of years I still have some issues with the way I see my body but my journey from the back where I used to be and where I am now are at opposite ends of the scale.
It's amazing what a bit of body confidence can do to a person's mental health.
Endless Amounts Of Energy
The excuse of
"I'm too tired after work to hit the gym is a myth"
I was a frequent user of this line but the truth is, yes you may find it hard to get off your arse and hit the gym after work because your shattered but living a healthier lifestyle with a bit of exercise increases your endurance levels to the max.
You acquire boundless amounts of energy.... Enough for work, the gym and whatever else you want to do with all this built up get up and go..
Improved Mood
I've always had a pretty positive attitude about life and The daily increase of endorphins will put you in such a better frame of mind that you will be happier, more focused, motivated and better to be around...... Your friends and family won't recognise you or your happier personality any more!
Some Much Needed "ME" Time
I'm a bit of an introvert some days and trying to find some much needed me time can be difficult which is where the gym comes in.
Why not put your headphones and favourite tunes on and hit the gym for an hour..... It kills 2 birds with 1 stone. You get fit & healthy and it'll provide you with some much needed you time where you can re-engage with you, your thoughts and your feelings..... It does me wonders!!
I get it, exercise is not everyone's cup of tea so I'll just speak for myself when I'm talking about how beneficial it can be on a persons mental health.
The truth is it really has completely changed my mindset and the great thing about it is that you don't have to turn into an Olympian to reap the benefits.
Start small.... find something sporty you enjoy doing and get involved. If you like it I promise you it'll be a game changer for you.
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