When aiming for a healthier lifestyle, most people focus on the physical benefits of working out. However, the mental benefits of exercising often go unnoticed. Regularly training your body in the gym can significantly improve your mental health as well as your emotional well-being. This blog will discuss exactly how important training is for your mental health!
The Science:
Dopamine, Serotonin and Endorphins are 3 chemicals that our brains release, these are known as the “feel good” chemicals. When we perform physical exercise, the brain is triggered to release these chemicals. Exercise has been proven to increase the production of these chemicals too, showing that working out effectively boosts mental health and overall happiness levels. These chemicals, called neurotransmitters, also help the body regulate mood, reducing stress and promoting a sense of well-being.
Stress Reduction:
If you’re a regular gym goer, you’ll know how great the gym is at releasing any built-up stress, tension or anxiety from the day/days before. This happens because the release of endorphins helps reduce the stress level hormones such as cortisol. This release can be accomplished by hitting weights, running, yoga, or whichever form of exercise it is.
Self Esteem and Confidence:
Not only does working out make you feel good and reduce your stress levels, but it can also lead to a transformative effect on your confidence, and self-esteem. Setting fitness goals and then later accomplishing those goals can result in a feeling like no other. Being proud of your progress can boost your confidence like you’ve never seen before. So not only will your physical health improve, but your mental health too.
Social Connections:
Going to the same gym consistently allows you to meet new people and gain a lot of social confidence. These connections often last a long time, as you’re meeting like-minded individuals, who love to train. Speaking from past experiences, the gym can be a great place to meet others and overcome any social anxiety you may have! In my 5 years of training, I have never had a negative experience in the gym. Remember, if you feel too uncomfortable to train in the gym, why not opt for home gym training? It’s much more convenient and saves you the hassle of travelling daily!
So, with these benefits in mind, how do you start the gym?
1.Set clear and realistic goals for yourself
When people start the gym, they often have an image in their mind of how they want to look after training, maybe it's Arnold's physique, or a celebrity, however many lose motivation after they train for a short period of time and do not look like these people. This is where setting realistic goals comes into play. Focus on small, achievable goals to begin with, to allow yourself time to adjust.
2.Start slow and focus on form
You may be super eager to get into the gym and train heavy everyday like you’ve seen in the bodybuilding movies, but all successful bodybuilders understand the benefits of starting slow and focusing on your form, if you can get your tempo and form perfected, the rest of your fitness journey will be much smoother.
3.Find an accountability partner
Often when we’re tired from a long day or week, the last thing we want to do is train our bodies until failure. However, with the help of an accountability partner, pushing you to go, you can stay much more consistent with your workouts and diets. The feeling of “letting someone down” by not turning up at the gym is greater than the feeling of not going to the gym at all, resulting in a consistent workout regime!
4.Nail your nutrition!
You may have heard it a hundred times, but nutrition is truly most important when wanting to build a great physique. Fuelling your body with the right balance of calories, protein, and macros is essential to building muscle or losing weight. Research the best diets for your goal and check out our other blogs for some tasty protein dense meals!
Training in the gym can only bring positive benefits, from the amazing physical aspects such as improved function ability, strength and flexibility, to the great mental health benefits such as improved happiness, reduced stress and less anxiety, the gym is a great place. If you were nervous about beginning your fitness journey, we hope this blog has helped settle any concerns you had! Remember, with the use of our outstanding home gym equipment, you can train in the comfort of your own home and avoid the stress of the gym all together! Check out our other blogs to see what training you should do, how regularly you should train and what foods you should eat!
