Exercise.
Exercise is incredibly powerful as it promotes feelings of wellbeing and vitality on all levels. 30 minutes of daily exercise plays a key role in keeping your mind and body balanced and healthy.
Exercise is another key component of THE MEGA SELF program. Not only does it support mental health, but exercise will also reduce the risk of developing several diseases like type 2 diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease. There have been several studies that have found that exercise helps with depression too.
In this TED talk Wendy Suzuki explains the brain changing benefits of moving our bodies.
‘Physical activity is a vitally important component to overall health and both prevention and treatment of various diseases. Regular physical activity has been specifically demonstrated to reduce risk of CVD, type 2 diabetes, the metabolic syndrome, obesity, and certain types of cancer.’
– Nurses’ Health Study; Bassuk SS, Manson JE. Lifestyle and risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes in women: a review of the epidemiologic evidence. Am J Lifestyle Med. 2008;2:191-213.
‘In addition, there is strong evidence that regular physical activity is important for brain health and cognition as well as reduction in anxiety and depression and amelioration of stress, obesity, and certain types of cancer.’
– Gorelick PB, Furie KL, Iadecola C, et al. Defining optimal brain health in adults: a presidential advisory from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. Stroke. 2017;48:e284-e303.
AIM OF EXECISE AS PART OF THE MEGA SELF FRAMEWORK.
As part of the MEGA SELF framework the primary goal of daily exercise is to –
- Improve your mood and can be used as a powerful tool to reduce stress.
- Provides you with an opportunity for greater social connection.
- Resets you into the bottom area of the triangle when you are flooded with stress, anxiety, and overwhelming emotions.
- Helps improve your sleep patterns.
- Reduce your risk of heart attack, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers.
- Improve your overall quality of life.
BENEFITS OF EXERCISE AS PART OF THE MEGA SELF FRAMEWORK.
One of the most incredible benefits of exercise is having a positive outlet for stress, challenging emotions, and overthinking. Exercise is a great way to release excess cortisol from the body as opposed to reaching for a short-term coping method that is often damaging to your health.
Here are some other powerful benefits:
* Regular exercise will give you more energy, it will enhance your mood and help you sleep better.
* Exercise greatly improves your physical wellbeing.
* Exercise is a great tool to release emotional build up in your body.
* Exercise can help you connect with the present moment and experience more joy and vitality.
Here are 5 tips to get an exercise routine started.
1. Create an awareness and vision about the positive effects that exercise will have in your life.
2 Develop and learn mindset strategies that will keep you on path and motivated.
3. Ask for help and create a support system that will keep you focussed on where you are going.
4. Understand your personal roadblocks and then develop strategies to help you move through these.
- Find exercise that you enjoy and can easily become part of your weekly routine.
Where to get help
- Your GP
- Physiotherapist
- Exercise physiologist
- Personal trainer
- Gym
- Fitness Australia TEL – 1300 211 311
- Local community centre