We are born to move. We’ve been hunting our dinners and ran distances to find shelters and migrate for over two million years. But now, we’ve switched to a more sedentary lifestyle, with laptops, games, and social media affecting both our mental and physical wellbeing.
Still, the fact remains that our bodies are miraculous and work the best while active. Meanwhile, while physical inactivity leads to deterioration. Our bones lose density; muscles, hearts, and lungs become weaker, and our bioenergetic system degenerates. When we sit, we burn fewer calories too. We begin to feel worse, which, in return, affects our mental state. That’s why we must implement some physical activity in our daily lives.
Let’s get physical
First of all, exercise helps with weight loss. It also keeps our body strong and healthy, lowers the risk of heart disease, improves sleep and circulation, and manages blood sugar and insulin levels. Regular exercise improves our sexual health, increases longevity, and even reduces the risk of some types of cancers. Sometimes, it can be a great ally in quitting smoking—it reduces the cravings and helps with withdrawal symptoms. Furthermore, physical activity has an impact on our mental health.
Mindful benefits
Exercise works as effectively as antidepressant medication, but it’s a natural anxiety treatment. That’s why many doctors will advise regular physical activity, together with medication, to treat anxiety and depression. It’s also a great way to reduce stress and reconnect with our bodies. Another positive consequence of exercising is increased self-esteem and self-worth. Some of the less demanding exercises, such as yoga, help us stay grounded and achieve mindfulness.
Fun ways to get moving
There are many ways to implement additional physical activity in our lives, and these are just some:
- Dance party
- Frisbee
- Taking the stairs
- Water balloon battle
- Jump rope
- Hula hoop
- Turning date night into activity
- Trampolining
- Bike riding
Those 30 minutes of physical activity don’t have to be draining. It can be something simple, like cleaning the house or shopping. When we realize all the benefits that we can reap from only 30 minutes of moving, we’ll become more eager to take up an activity.
Boost your energy
Physical inactivity affects us more than we think. Long gone are the days when we had to hunt to survive. Today, when everything is in reach, we indulge in fast food and sit more than we should. In return, our sedentary lifestyle affects both our physical health and our mental wellbeing. We should understand all the risks and do our best to engage in some physical activity every day.
When our body moves, it positively affects both our body and mind. The benefits include weight loss, improved circulation, and quality sleep. We’ll feel better, and it will also reflect on our mental state. We’ll have more energy, our anxiety levels will drop, depression will reduce, and we’ll have more self-esteem. Even though it’s hard to leave the comfy couch, we should do so for all the benefits that physical activity will bring us.
Do you struggle to get active? Do you feel too busy, lethargic or anxious to move? Here’s what you need to do: Contact Colleen on 0434 337 245, Duncan on 0434 331 243 or Rachel on 0422 177 193 for a FREE 10 minute consultation on how we can best help you or book online.
This article was provided by Dr Nikola Djodjevic, MD and the team at DisturbMeNot. Watersedge Counselling is not affiliated with any of the links, websites or associated products provided in this post.
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