Stay Happy

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Stay Happy

Provided by ISL Consulting Co.


Exercise is good for your body, but did you know that exercise is also good for your mind?

Research has shown that regular exercise delivers a mental and emotional boost. It improves your mood, bolsters your self-esteem and gives you the confidence to handle whatever comes your way. Some studies hint that it also enhances the functioning of your brain.

Your Body's Medicine Cabinet
When you are physically active your body releases chemicals known as endorphins. These are your body's natural painkillers and stress reducers. They diminish anxiety and depression and produce a sense of well being known as the exercise "high."

Just one workout can release another cache of natural antidepressant chemicals from your body's medicine cabinet, such as dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine.

A study at Duke University found that intense bouts of exercise are every effective in reducing feelings of depression, tension, anger and confusion.

Meanwhile, a host of other studies have shown that even short spurts of moderate exercise can improve your outlook on life and make you less anxious. Whether you take a brisk ten-minute walk, do a few jumping jacks, or bicycle around the block, you will feel the benefit both physically and emotionally.

Stress Buster
Chronic stress releases a number of different chemicals and hormones into your body that raise blood pressure, weaken your immunity to colds and illness, impair your memory, increase fat cell storage, and lead to depression.

Regular physical activity has been shown to be an effective stress buster and successful weapon against its debilitating effects. The set of beneficial chemicals and hormones released during exercise are an important arsenal that can defeat the negative chemicals created by stress.

Canadian researchers discovered that depressed people experienced significantly less depression after exercising for anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour, three times a week for five weeks. In some cases the benefits lasted up to one year. It is important to note however, that severe cases of depression require medical review and a combination of treatments.

In another study, a team of Australian researchers compared people who practiced progressive-relaxation techniques with a group who did 30 minutes of aerobic exercise three times a week. It was the exercise group that had lower blood pressure and responded best to acute stress.

A Boost to Self-esteem
How we feel directly affects how we use our bodies and how we look. Feelings of distress or doubt can cause us to hunch our bodies in an effort at self-protection. As a result our spines are compressed and our breathing is shallow. We limit ourselves to small movements leading our muscles and joints to stiffen and weaken. It is no wonder that our spirits might sag and our sense of self-esteem drop through the floor.

Often just starting out on a new exercise program can boost your sense of self-worth. As you find yourself progressing, you'll also find your confidence growing. Choose physical activities that stretch and strengthen. They will help you to physically stand taller, feel better, and face the world with a positive outlook.

Yoga poses such as the Sun Breath, Mountain, and Warrior One, can help build confidence and self-esteem. They strengthen your legs, joints, and spine so that you can feel grounded and stable. The postures create good spinal alignment to help you stand tall and increase your range of movement. They open your chest for deep regular breathing that can calm your nerves and mind.


>>http://health.yahoo.com/centers/mens/135










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