Women can sometimes carry the weight of the world on their shoulders. When your responsibilities include career, taking care of family and making time for yourself, you can become bogged down with feelings of stress, anxiety and even depression. In some cases, certain mental disorders require medical help and prescription drugs -- and exercise can be a valuable and effective part of a healthier lifestyle. As a woman, you'll find that exercise helps to relieve stress while elevating your mood for a better sense of well-being.
Stress and Anxiety
Making time for yourself and exercise can help reduce the amount of stress and anxiety you feel on a daily basis. A hectic schedule, responsibilities and a variety of other issues can often make you feel stifled and stressed out. This can be especially true when facing an influx of hormones, such as when pregnant or experiencing menopause. Making time in your day to exercise helps stimulate the release of endorphins, feel-good chemicals that can help you feel relaxed and happy. Exercise can also help increase energy so you feel better equipped to take on the day.
Mood
The same endorphins that help you feel more relaxed can also elevate your mood to help you feel happier. In fact, a daily exercise program is often used as the first line of defense against emotional disorders such as depression. Taking time for yourself away from your family and responsibilities to recharge and care for your body can help you feel more relaxed, happy and optimistic.
Self-Esteem
Having babies and hormonal changes can make you gain weight. Your metabolism slows near menopause, resulting in weight gain. Added weight paired with unrealistic female ideals portrayed on television and in movies can make you feel badly about yourself. Exercising on a daily basis can help you burn calories. Combine exercise with a healthy diet and you could see weight loss and a healthier lifestyle, which can contribute to better self- esteem.
Cognition
Exercising on a daily basis can actually help improve memory and cognition, particularly in older adults. In fact, Kristine Yaffe, researcher for the University of California, San Francisco points out that exercise can help protect from memory loss, specifically in women. In fact, a 2008 study published in the journal "PLoS ONE" found that older adults that exercised at least three times per week had more improved and stable cognition than individuals who did not exercise. Exercise often introduces you to new activities and skills, which engages various parts of your brain and can help reduce deterioration which occurs with age. This results in sharper cognition and a younger mind. By making exercise a priority each day, it could have a positive effect on other areas of your life, such as your performance at work.
References
- Community of Undergraduate Journals Online;Aerobic Exercise and State Anxiety: The Moderating Role of Trait Anxiety; Laura Cronin; Dec. 2005
- "The New York Times"; Exercise's Effects on Other Conditions
- MayoClinic.com: Exercise: 7 Benefits of Regular Physical Activity
- The Franklin Institute: The Human Brain
- "UCSF Magazine"; Interview: Kristine Yaffe; Jeff Miller; April 2004
- "PLoS ONE"; Changes in Cognition and Mortality in Relation to Exercise in Late Life: A Population Based Study; L.E. Middleton, et al.; Sept. 2008
Member Comments