Confidence is contagious. Confidence builds self-efficacy. Confidence allows you to be better equipped to handle whatever life throws at you.
One way to build confidence is by setting simple exercise goals, by working towards them and by ultimately accomplishing said goals. All along the path of achievement, you start building more and more confidence. You start to believe in yourself even more.
Take bodyweight training for example, there are so many places to start for an exercise goal. For some, doing that 1st full push up or pull up might be a huge goal. For someone else, just walking for a certain amount of time per day would be a huge win at a very low barrier of entry. Regardless, when you start accomplishing small exercise goals, they build into bigger goals.
Besides the obvious physical benefits of exercise, you will get a huge mental boost. That mental boost bubbles over into everyday life. It is contagious if you will! This newly improved confidence can help boost feel-good neurotransmitters in the brain that help alleviate excess anxiety and stress as well as increasing the overall performance of your brain!
According to Albert Bandura, self-efficacy is a person’s belief in his or her ability to succeed in a particular situation. Bandura also described these beliefs as determinants of how we feel, behave and ultimately think. So isn’t it amazing how setting exercise goals can manifest themselves into changing one’s entire attitude and outlook of life.
Here are three reasons, backed by research, as to why you should exercise for mental health reasons alone:
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Relieve normal day to day stress. Have a bad day? Feeling a bit edgy? Get a quick workout in. Besides working up a sweat, you will increase your nor-epinephrine concentrations, which is a hormone in the brain that can moderate the brain’s response to stress.
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Alleviate symptoms among the clinically depressed. Exercise has been shown to be just as effective as antidepressants in treating anxiety and depression in some cases. 30 minutes per day of 3-5 times per week is recommended.
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Boost your brain’s cognitive functions. Want a better memory, the ability to learn new things and even new brain cells? Sure you do. Studies suggest that a tough workout can increase levels of the brain produced protein BDNF (Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor) which helps with decision making, higher order thinking and learning.
There are so many reasons to exercise, but one of the most misunderstood is that of mental health. Often times it boils down to you winning in the mind first. As Mark Devine of SEALFIT says “We must win in the mind before entering our battles in life.” Let’s face it, life can be tough, we all have our ups and downs. BUT, it can be made easier with some consistent exercising.
At Lebert Fitness, we believe the safest and most effective way to start exercising is with your own bodyweight. To learn a ton of great bodyweight exercises, browse our Lebert Fitness website. We are experts in bodyweight strength training. Our Lebert Fitness Education programs include online courses, live workshops, and an expansive Education Team. Our courses and products are creative, cutting-edge and highly effective for expanding your knowledge base.
By: Todd Cambio, BS, BA, CSCS for Lebert Fitness
