The Benefits of a Balanced Life on Overall Wellness
It's no secret that exercise and physical activity can boost your overall health, fitness level, and sense of well-being. But it might surprise you to learn just how powerful a balanced lifestyle with regular exercise can be in supporting your mental and emotional wellness as well.
With a busy schedule and various responsibilities weighing on your mind, it can be difficult to prioritize yourself, leading you to feel burnt out at the end of the day. That's why cultivating balance in your life is important for improving our quality of life – both inside and outside of the gym! Let's explore some of the benefits of achieving this kind of equilibrium between restful activities, healthy nutrition, self-care habits, and exercise on total body wellness.
Enhanced Mental Health
Regular exercise has been proven to have a positive impact on mental health, with studies showing that it can help reduce the risk of depression and anxiety. Exercise releases endorphins – the body’s natural feel-good chemicals – which can improve mood and cognitive function. It also helps regulate stress hormones such as cortisol, which is linked to increased levels of anxiety and depression. Next time you feel stressed or overwhelmed by your busy schedule, try to spend a few extra minutes a day being active- it will put your mind at peace, help motivate you, and benefit your mental health in the long run.
Increased Energy
Feeling overworked and run-down from day to day? Staying active and choosing to eat nutritious foods can help you feel more energized and motivated. Eating healthy can provide essential nutrients that will keep you focused on the tasks at hand, while regular exercise improves mood and overall well being.
Instead of reaching for a "quick fix" like caffeinated drinks and refined sugar to give you an energy boost, try incorporating a variety of unrefined carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vegetables, and healthy oils into your diet. Simple sugars will cause you to crash after a short amount of time while whole foods will sustain you throughout the entire day.
A bonus - exercising boosts oxygen circulation inside your body. This increase in oxygen allows your body to function better and to use its energy more efficiently, leaving you feeling more productive and energized. Being active also allows your body to create fuel out of glucose from the food you eat and oxygen from the air you breathe, increasing your overall energy supply.
Better Sleep
Prioritizing your wellness can also lead to better sleep, allowing you to wake up feeling refreshed and ready to tackle the day ahead. Diet, exercise, and sleep influence one another in a variety of ways, so it's important to make sure you are equally focusing on each aspect.
Having a diet that is too high in calories or fat, or consuming too much sugar and caffeine throughout the day, may make it harder to get enough sleep. Eating a diet that's full of vitamins, calcium, and magnesium will help your body rest easier at night.
Recent research shows that exercise decreases sleep inconsistency and insomnia in patients. While releasing endorphins during your workout improves your mental health, it also benefits your sleep patterns. Those chemicals make you feel lively and energized during the day, eliminating fatigue and the feeling of daytime sleepiness. However, at night, your mind has been given enough time to wind down and you are more likely to stay asleep throughout the entire night. In addition, exercise also increases your core body temperature, signaling your body that it’s time to be awake. After time, the core body temperature starts to fall, helping to facilitate sleepiness.
Overall Improved Quality of Life
Focusing on health and wellness doesn't mean you have to fill your day with intense workouts or eat a restrictive diet. It also doesn't mean giving up the things you love to make time for exercise. It's all about finding what works with your lifestyle and brings you happiness. Finding a balance between staying active, eating well, and your daily responsibilities, will lead to increased happiness and satisfaction.
While it may seem tricky to prioritize your own needs over life's demands, taking small steps to focus on your wellness from day to day will allow you to make those small incremental changes to your daily habits that will ultimately leave you feeling more rested, energized, and fulfilled.
If you're ready to add some balance to your life, CORE57 is a great place to start! Reach out today to begin your wellness journey.