How many of us suffer from anxiety or depression? These are the most common mental issues that are faced.
Exercise Benefits
Exercise relieves stress and tension by releasing the feel-good hormones (endorphins), which give a sense of calm and lift your mood.
As well as improving your energy levels and improving sleep and digestion, exercise helps you to feel positive about yourself, increasing your self-esteem, which is a useful tool in coping with life on a day to day basis. The sense of achievement increases self-worth and lifts your mood, reducing stress and improving resilience to life events.
Learning how to stretch and relax your body also calms the mind. Controlled breathing and focusing mindfully on how you are moving helps to prevent a ‘busy brain’ from worrying about day-to-day concerns.
Music
Music is a great way to lift your mood, and brings a sense of enjoyment to getting fitter. Improving co-ordination improves concentration and dexterity.
Social
It can be difficult to be inspired to exercise alone, so joining a class is a great way to meet new friends if you are feeling lonely. The social aspects of coming to a class are just as important as the physical ones. If you enjoy exercise, you are more likely to make it a regular part of your lifestyle.
Making exercise part of your daily life, combined with eating sensibly contributes to a long, healthy life and challenges the stigma of mental health.
So, if you know someone who may benefit from coming to a FLexercise class, but feels intimidated by taking that first step, offer to bring them along. You never know, you may make a new friend.
