Think back, do you have one experience with exercise that epitomizes how much you want to push it aside? Now think of all of the glamourized influencers who make you feel worse about your situation, how do they do it? Simply put, these individuals have trained themselves to become addicted to the positives that result from working out. In essence, frequent workouts flood the mind with positive ideals, creating a greater self-image while you sustain a healthy body.
With a sudden bout of inspiration, you swiftly decide to get out of the house and go on your first walk in ages; how do you feel afterwards? First are the positives that come from getting sunshine [Vitamin D, better sleep, serotonin release (Wheeler, 2024).] You may notice a more positive self-reflection as well. In addition, endorphins are released, the hormones that relieve pain and improve mood. You may also feel your lungs open up: just one walk can increase physical endurance and lung capacity. While consistency is the key, it’s important to realize the benefits of exercise in the short term. Your post-workout feelings serve as encouragement to keep going!
You felt great after that first walk, and now it is time to set yourself future goals. Remember that when you set your goals, it is important to be realistic and not beat yourself up. This could mean starting small, maybe even just a month where you decide to consistently put the work in. Enacting an exercise program is the hard part, and there is no way around the work front of you. The Australian Better Health Channel sums it up best in a 2015 article, “The first few months of a new exercise program are always the most challenging. Adjust your short-term goals, persist and have faith that things will get easier with time.”
To sustain yourself as a “healthy” individual, you will eventually have to work up to 150 minutes of moderate physical activity each week. The reasoning behind this is 150 minutes of moderate activity will increase your cardiovascular health. Vigorous exercise, on the other hand, differs from moderate activity because you are working out to, “70% to about 85% of your maximum heart rate” (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2024). Mixing in “vigorous” exercise compounds with moderate exercise, so you can essentially include vigorous exercising as double the minutes (CDC, 2024.) It is important to make the most of these vigorous minutes because they reduce the overall time you need to spend exercising each week.
Switching up your routine can serve you well in sticking to your goals. In fact, there are so many routes to go down… if it’s yoga or HIIT or zumba, there is a method out there for you. In case you’re having trouble finding something to do, here are some more that might gauge your interest: water sports, winter sports, recreational sports (like pickleball or basketball), dancing, martial arts, roller/ice skating, skateboarding, cycling, squats or pushups, aerobic exercise. All of these modes do an excellent job at elevating heart rate, and would be remiss if I did not include strength training.
When you are finally triumphant in your goals and hit your goal of 150 active minutes that first week, there will be some notable changes in your demeanor. “You might feel as though you look a bit more muscular… (but) …After a week it’s more about the mental side” (Aubrey, 2020) This is true because the mental benefits go leaps and bounds over the physical portion. According to that same article — unless you are overtraining — you should be left with an energized feeling, and a sensation that you are able to tackle the world. This can be largely attributed to the release of endorphins, which are natural hormones that — in addition to promoting well-being — are released during other pleasurable activities like eating, sex, or playing video games. (Thitiporn Supasitthumrong, 2023)
When you eventually get to your goal, let’s say 8 weeks, you may experience long-term neural changes and positive reflections on your personality. If you base personality the five factor model, “Extraversion (r = 0.23), neuroticism (r = −0.11) and conscientiousness (r = 0.20) were identified as correlates of physical activity.” (Rhodes & Smith, 2006) In essence, what this means is: you can expect to be more outgoing, you will reflect on yourself more in a more productive manner, and you should expect to be less emotionally erratic. The combination of these traits should all build on each other to sustain the healthy person you are.
To keep it brief, there are too many positives that come with working out that it is always worth a shot. Speaking from the heart, I have been able to love the man I see in the mirror instead of unpleasantly critiquing everything. Exercise can become an addiction because of how much value it gives in your everyday life. It will give you energy to fuel your days, a positive mindset to restitute your mind and most of all, a reason to smile.
Bibliography:
- https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/mental-benefits-of-walking . (2021, March 30). Mental Benefits of Walking. WebMD.
- Better Health Channel. (2015). Physical activity — setting yourself goals. Vic.gov.au. https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/physical-activity-setting-yourself-goals
- CDC. (2024, July 19). Adult Activity: An Overview. Physical Activity Basics. https://www.cdc.gov/physical-activity-basics/guidelines/adults.html#:~:text=Physical%20activity%20is%20one%20of,day%2C%205%20days%20a%20week.
- Aubrey, S. (2020, November 15). How exercise changes your body after a day, a week, a month, a year. The Sydney Morning Herald. https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/health-and-wellness/how-exercise-changes-your-body-after-a-day-a-week-a-month-20201106-p56c9y.html
- Thitiporn Supasitthumrong. (2023, July 31). Endorphins — The “feel good” chemicals for well-being. MedPark Hospital. https://www.medparkhospital.com/en-US/lifestyles/endorphins#:~:text=pain%2Drelieving%20drug.-,Endorphins%20are%20neurotransmitters%20released%20by%20the%20pituitary%20gland%20and%20hypothalamus,exercise%2C%20and%20sex%2C%20etc.
- Rhodes, R. E., & Smith, N. E. I. (2006). Personality correlates of physical activity: a review and meta-analysis: Table 1. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 40(12), 958–965. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsm.2006.028860