What is the Connection Between Fitness and Mental Health?

Exercise is a powerful tool for improving both physical and mental health. Studies have shown that regular physical activity can reduce stress levels, improve mood, and increase overall wellbeing. Regular exercise can also help improve cognitive function and reduce anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues. Additionally, physical activity can be used as an effective stress management tool to help individuals cope with the day to day struggles that life brings. In this article we’ll explore the different ways in which exercise can benefit both physical and mental health and provide strategies to help people just like you incorporate more physical activity into their lives.

5 Ways to Incorporate More Exercise into Your Routine

Exercise is an important part of any healthy lifestyle. Regular physical activity can help reduce your risk of developing chronic diseases, improve wellbeing, and increase your overall energy levels. With this in mind, it’s important to incorporate exercise into your daily routine. Here are five easy ways you can incorporate more exercise into your life:

  1. Try some 10, 15, or 20 minute workouts – Life can be busy at times and finding a spare 60-90 minutes for a workout can seem impossible to fit in, luckily, there are plenty of quick workouts that you can squeeze into a busy routine in as little as 10 minutes. Some common workouts that fit into these categories are HIIT, circuit training, EMOM (each minute on the minute) and AMRAP (as many reps as possible).

  2. Purchase a pull up bar – Not only are these an elite exercise for strength and endurance, but they help counteract the dreaded ‘computer hunch’, improve your back health and build your arms (and who doesn’t want that?). Get a bar that clips on to your door frame and uses leverage rather than screws, this will save you time and money, then when you pass by it throughout your day you can aim to do one or two and gradually build your way up to a full ten. If you can’t do pull ups all hope is not lost, simply ‘jump’ into the top position of the movement and lower yourself down as slow as you can. You’ll build your strength nicely and be able to perform a few reps in no time!

  3. Always take the stairs – Ah, the oldest trick in the book. Never fails.

  4. Watch TV standing or sitting on the floor – These two options will make you move around and stretch, keeping your vital systems in motion. If you want to take it a step further you can purchase a foam roller and roll out all the little niggles you’ve been feeling prior to a bit of catch up.

  5. Use your lunch break wisely – Rather than taking your 30 minutes or more for a sit down at your desk or the work cafeteria, take your lunch outside with you and take a short walk. Prepare your meals so that this is attainable, use a good sized lunch box that’s easy to carry around or make sandwiches and wrap them in tin foil.

How to Develop a Sustainable Exercise Routine that Works For You

Developing a sustainable exercise routine that works for you can be a challenging task. It requires dedication, and consistency to stay on track. However, with the right guidance and tools, it is possible to create an exercise routine that fits your lifestyle and helps you reach your goals. To develop an effective exercise routine that is tailored to your needs and preferences you must first set some realistic goals and create a schedule that works around them. Once you’ve decided on a schedule it’s worth finding which type of exercise is most enjoyable for you, this could be weight lifting, HIIT, CrossFit, or any other type of exercise that you enjoy, this in turn will keep you motivated and make it a lot easier to stick to. By following these tips and strategies, you can create an effective exercise routine that will help you stay fit and healthy in the long run.

Common Barriers to Starting an Exercise Routine & How To Overcome Them

Starting an exercise routine can be a daunting task, especially when you’re not sure where to start. Common barriers to starting an exercise routine include lack of motivation, time constraints, lack of knowledge or skills, and fear of failure. However, with the right approach, these barriers can be overcome. Here are some tips on how to overcome the common barriers that may be holding you back.

  1. Lack of motivation – How do you beat a lack of motivation? Pretend that ‘motivation’ doesn’t exist. Be disciplined with your efforts, regardless of how you feel, block out the negative energy and kick yourself into gear! It’s all down to you and how badly you want it.

  2. Time constraints – We mentioned briefly about utilizing quick workouts earlier in this article and they are the perfect solution to this barrier. There are plenty of quick workouts available to you online that don’t require any equipment. A quick google of ‘No equipment 10 minute workout’ brings around 26.8 million results… We’re sure there’ll be something that tickles your fancy in there!

  3. Lack of knowledge or skills – Research, research, research. Practice, practice, practice. Browse our website and look for other fitness sites and find what interests you, you can only build knowledge and skills by dedicating time and effort.

  4. Fear of failure – There’s a famous quote that reads, ‘Failure is just a stepping stone to success’. EVERYBODY that you see in the gym, no matter how ripped, skinny, healthy, fit, or confident has failed in the gym time after time after time. That’s how we learn and grow as human beings, if you are not prepared to fail you are not prepared to succeed.