Self-Esteem: 5 Benefits Of Doing Physical Exercise

There is more and more agreement between science, psychology, physical therapists and personal trainers, as well as coaches and people who lead personal development processes on this reality: Exercising regularly helps physically, mentally, emotionally and with our spiritual connection.

So, exercising should be part of our daily lifestyle. As we need to eat some food every day, we also need to exercise as part of our daily routine. Let us show you in this article how to do exercises to improve self-esteem while you enjoy doing those. You’ll be surprised by the tight connection between exercising and the way you see and feel about yourself.

Regardless of age, researchers have found that maintaining a routine that’s right for you has big benefits beyond just looking good.

In the book “The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain,” a well-known psychiatrist states that “Exercising regularly is good for your mood, memory, and even learning.” Thus, cognitive, social and self-esteem processes are stimulated through physical movement.

Energy follows thought, and thought transforms into concrete actions that have been elaborated internally. Hence, if the energy keeps moving also from the physical, very soon you will observe notable changes in your state of mind, intuition, perception, coordination, openness and socialization; in addition to feeling much better with your body.

The conclusions of the specialists are summarized in these 5 points:

1. Exercise reduces stress

By doing the regular physical movement, the body adopts new stimulation that helps you relax, contrary to what most think that you will end up more tired. In fact, those who train often know that on days when laziness kicks in, when you finish your walking routine or whatever you choose, you feel more energized. This is because exercise produces norepinephrine, a chemical that helps moderate the brain’s response to stress.

2. Relieves different types of symptoms

Beyond the physical recommendations made by a doctor according to each pathology, moving the body relieves symptoms of depression. Hence, psychotherapists strongly recommend including some exercise to people with a tendency to depression. For example, it has been shown that walking daily, going up and downstairs, and taking a regular walk for 30 minutes 3 times a week increases your good mood significantly, while better oxygenating your body. Colors appear brighter and you are more lucid to make decisions. And at the end of the day, your rest will be much more restful.

3. You will look better

Without the need for you to be a bodybuilder, just doing continuous exercise will get you a better image of yourself in front of the mirror, inside yourself, and also in front of your surroundings. Self-esteem improves because when you feel energized, your skin looks better, you socialize with new people and you connect with another world, getting out of problems and routine.

This affects something essential: Self-assessment, which has to do directly with your self-confidence.

4. Lower anxiety

Neurotransmitters in the brain that are released when you exercise and for many hours after, help you calm down if you have anxiety, according to a recent study from Harvard. Some aerobic activities, such as fast walking, jogging, cycling in all its forms, and even gym classes with dance, or those that emulate boxing movements, allow you to release tension. This way you regain self-control, you focus on the present and you don’t spend too much time in the future, which is where anxiety lives.

5. You prevent your cognitive deterioration

After age 40, the risk of suffering from degenerative diseases, or having pressure problems, high blood sugar, cholesterol, among others, increases. Physical activity, accompanied by any other personal development discipline, helps you increase the substances in the brain that prevent the degeneration of hippocampal neurons. Practicing exercise also helps take care of your heart, your respiratory system, your bones. As we see, it is not just about building muscles.

In addition, when doing any type of exercise, you practice your coordination, which is related to being continuously present in what you are doing (mindfulness), while stimulating the coordination of movements and learning new things about the physiology of the body. Unintentionally, you learn to listen to it.

You will have most likely seen the enormous benefits of exercise in older adults: From indoor sports to yoga, walks, and moderate strength exercises, always supervised by professionals. Imagine what you can achieve by adopting it before you get older!

To conclude, people who practice exercise of any kind, and in combination with other self-development disciplines, are more productive in their lives. This is confirmed by an investigation by Schwarz and Hasson (2011): Workers who practice exercise or sports regularly are more productive and have more energy than their sedentary colleagues. They recommend incorporating physical activity at noon, for example, during the lunch break, to stay more active during the rest of the day.

For people with any type of addiction, exercise and self-knowledge are two essential axes; since, with training, the brain releases dopamine, the neurotransmitter of reward and pleasure like sex, chocolates, food in general; then, it is an adequate gradual replacement of what is so harmful to a new healthy habit.

Imagine joining from now on a solidarity walk in your city; or motivating your friends to a weekly meeting to talk and have fun while walking.

So, what are you waiting for to dress in comfortable clothes and go out to the streets for a good walk, no matter if it’s windy, cold, rainy or sunny? How about making new acquaintances and sharing moments in the week? Enjoy it step by step. Ask professionals for guidance, consult your doctor before starting an exercise routine, and get going. All of them will provide you with great benefits. Time is today.