One of the things that I have understood is that physical health is as important as the mental health, and more often than not, both of them work together. When I was doing exercise in a particular gym some years back, there was a phrase inscribed on the entrance of the facility which I still remember till now. It read "achieving sound mind through sound body." This means that as you work to stay fit physically, it will also correlate to achieving fitness of the mind. You will be surprised how the body and the mind are connected. This is why, when you think a certain thing in your mind, it will begin to find expression in your body. A healthy body will definitely bring about a healthy and happy mind.
A lot of people may be wondering what the relationship between the mind and the body is. I also used to think about it until I had to research a bit on it to broaden my understanding. From what I have read and experienced over time; there is usually a kind of "feel good" hormones which your body naturally releases when you engage in physical exercises. These hormones are scientifically termed "endorphins." This is also responsible for the reduction of stress and anxiety. In addition to this, there are other hormones that are released, according to science, which are dopamine and serotonin. This are also responsible for the control of the human mood, motivation, sleep, etc. This is why, when you have exercised, your mind will be relaxed and calmer, and you will have a nice sleep.
One of my friends once told me how, for a about 2 months, he was not sleeping well. In some nights, he would just sleep for a few minutes, then the sleep would be gone for hours, and then he would falls asleep again for a few minutes and wake up, and the patterns continued. It happened for about 2 months until he started a workout every evening. When he started, he noticed that what normal makes him anxious was sorted out and his mind became calmer and his mood improved. This led him to having better sleep at night, and that was how the sleeplessness stopped. There are some conditions that some people are passing through simply because they do not exercise their body. Trust me, there is a big gain in engaging in exercise.
You also have to understand that exercise lower the level of stress, thereby reducing the risk of anxiety, depression, and a lot of other health challenges. Exercise does not necessarily mean going to the gym and lifting heavy weights. Even something as seemingly little as talking a walk, swimming, jogging, skipping, etc, can do the body a lot of good. You do not also need specific equipments in order to exercise your body. Right from where you are, as long as you are intentional about exercising yourself, and then you will realise you can do something worthwhile.
I have also discovered that physical fitness also has a way of boosting one's confidence level. When you engage in regular exercises, you tend to work on your body to be better, and by that, you will also appear better. When you appear good, it tends to boost your level of confidence. This is because you will tend to place more value on yourself and know your worth. When you appear with a knowledge of your worth, it will make you more confident. More so, a fit body will create a positive impression of you in the mind of others and will project your image positively to them. People are quick to see how you appear before they will know what you have in your mind. And you achieve that by your bodily fitness.
Over the course of my exercise routines, I have observed that there is a relationship between physical fitness and discipline. You tend to be more disciplined in life when you have constantly and consistently carved out an exercise routine for yourself. Of course, if you can be disciplined enough to stick to your routine, you can also apply the same determination to other aspects of your life. As you build your body, your mind will follow suit, but much more than that, other aspects of your life will also be positively affected by it.
Thanks for reading
