We’ve already told you that exercise not only helps with your physical health, but it also helps with your mental health. Now more than ever, that rings true. Regular exercise helps keep you healthy, happy, and even helps with virus-fighting qualities. Specifically, “moderate intensity exercise improves immune function and potentially reduces risk and severity of respiratory viral infection.” 1
So, now that we are all sequestered to our homes, banned from the gyms, and multitasking with work, school, and even fulltime chef, it’s apparent that life is different as we know it. If you have not been practicing regular exercise prior to this event, you might feel overwhelmed, stressed, and potentially a little sad. This happens with a lack of exercise, because of SCIENCE!
“Wendy Suzuki, a Professor of Neural Science and Psychology in the Center for Neural Science at New York University, once said in a TEDtalk in reference to exercise that ‘simply moving your body, has immediate, long-lasting and protective benefits for your brain’.”2 Exercise immediately releases endorphins into your body. Endorphins are also known as the “happiness hormone.” You’ve most likely heard of the “runners’ high.” Guess what that is? Endorphins! Even low-impact exercise can release endorphins into your body and give you a feeling of euphoria, creating a better mood and more energized you.
In addition to releasing endorphins, exercise can “actually help to reduce the levels of cortisol and adrenaline in the body, both of these chemicals in high doses can cause stress.”2 When you’re juggling all these new daily tasks, the smallest reduction in stress can make the whole family happier. Lower stress means more patience, the ability to feel more compassionate, and physically help your muscles to relax.
So, if exercise hasn’t been a regular part of life for you, take this lesson away, and remember that even a small dose of exercise can help you in many ways every day. Especially during these unprecedented, and probably stressful, days. We suggest getting some sort of movement in every day. Even if it’s just a walk around the block. If you want to step up your game even more, check out our Facebook Live workouts that our trainers are doing right from their own homes. With equipment you can find in any ordinary household. (Think, all I need is a pot!) And all our videos are archived on our YouTube page as well.
For the time-being American Bodyworks Holly Springs is closed. But we’re looking forward to getting back in business as soon as possible. When that happens, we hope you’ll join us for your daily workouts or our group workout classes. If you’re not already a member, check out our membership opportunities to join us when we’re back in business!
1 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2803113/
2 https://www.fitnesseducation.edu.au/blog/health/how-exercise-makes-you-happy/
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