Your trainer: Zane Hadzick is a certified trainer, athlete, and bodybuilding.com and Nutriabio athlete.
Regular exercise offers numerous benefits, ranging from increased bone and muscle strength to improved sleep and weight management. It also reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes, enhances mental health, and promotes a longer life. However, the greatest advantage of exercise is the positive impact it has on our overall well-being. Feeling better is something we all strive for, and exercise can help us achieve that.
Familiar Benefits
We are well aware of these benefits. However, sometimes we need more encouragement and motivation to stick to our fitness goals. Have you tried various strategies to maintain your fitness routine but still need additional incentives? It might be time to think outside the box and focus on building confidence in your fitness goals. By doing this, you can experience positive effects not only in your physical fitness but also in other areas of your life, such as work and home. Improving your self-esteem, productivity, and self-efficacy can lead to success in various roles, whether it’s as a worker, leader, spouse, parent, friend, or coach. It might sound too good to be true, but it can be your reality. You have the power to become better in all these aspects by building confidence in your fitness routine, be it in the gym, during yoga practice, or any other physical activity you engage in regularly.
The Mind-Body Connection
Your mind and body are interconnected, like a two-person basketball team. Engaging in regular physical activity has been found to be an effective way to boost self-confidence, according to a study in the International Journal of Sport Psychology. Another study in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry found that exercise not only improves cognitive function but also increases self-esteem. The interesting part is that this boost in self-confidence and cognitive function extends beyond the realm of physical activity, influencing other areas of your life. By setting and achieving fitness goals, you are teaching yourself how to excel in various aspects of life. Furthermore, a study in the International Journal of Workplace Health Management revealed that exercise improves well-being and enhances time management and workload completion. Being more productive at work can also positively affect your personal life. Research in the Journal of Happiness Studies and Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences also shows that physical activity contributes to happiness, which in turn affects how you perceive yourself and how others perceive you in different environments.
Anecdotal Evidence
The benefits mentioned above are not just limited to studies. As a certified personal trainer, I have witnessed numerous clients experiencing these advantages firsthand. Teachers, financial specialists, emergency responders, lawyers, and students, among others, have reported increased confidence and improved performance in their work and home lives as they gained confidence in their fitness programs. If you need further motivation to give it a try, remember that it’s completely free to engage in physical activity and benefit from its positive impacts. So, take the leap, find a physical activity you love, build confidence in it, and watch as it transforms various aspects of your life. It’s the key to embarking on new adventures and leading a more fulfilling life.
Citations:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) – https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/pa-health/index.htm
Alfermann, D., & Stoll, O. (2000). Effects of physical exercise on self-concept and well-being. International Journal of Sport Psychology, 31(1), 47–65.
Ashish Sharma, et al. (2006). Exercise for Mental Health. Prim Care Companion J Clin Psychiatry, 8(2): 106. doi: 10.4088/pcc.v08n0208a
Coulson, J.C., McKenna, J. and Field, M. (2008), “Exercising at work and self‐reported work performance”, International Journal of Workplace Health Management, Vol. 1 No. 3, pp. 176-197. https://doi.org/10.1108/17538350810926534
Zhang, Z., Chen, W. A Systematic Review of the Relationship Between Physical Activity and Happiness. J Happiness Stud 20, 1305–1322 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-018-9976-0