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Does Exercise Affect Self Esteem?

By 09/26/2019March 17th, 2020Mind & Body
person lifting weights workout amarillo

You must be wondering whether you are better off sitting in front of your TV than taking a morning run or scheduling gym time. Being active obviously has more benefits than living a sedentary life. Apart from improving your physical health, exercise will raise your general well-being and confidence. Improved levels of physical self-efficacy are directly related to increased self-esteem. Here is how a date with the gym will affect your self-confidence.

1. Exercise Makes You Feel Better

If you feel better physically, then you will feel equally good mentally. Workout makes an individual feel better and happy through a number of ways. It could be as a result of the feeling of accomplishment, meeting new people, or the release of feel-good hormones.

A few hours at the gym will make you feel good, physically, and mentally. This brews a positive attitude and emotional stamina that leads to high self-esteem.

2. Exercise Makes You Stronger

Exercise makes you stronger mentally, physiologically, physically by increasing your power output, and emotionally by increasing your self-confidence. All the benefits are linked to increased self-esteem. By seeing what your body is capable of doing and enduring, self-confidence will automatically kick in. The feeling of accomplishment that comes with being able to stay focused on your workout goals, and seeing the results of your resilience makes you feel that you can do anything, which translates to increased self-regard.

3. Exercise Makes You Look Better

How you look has a direct bearing on your self-esteem. As your fitness and appearance improves, the same will happen to your self-confidence. Exercise will enhance your appearance by making your body stronger, toned, and more firm. It has also been found to be an indispensable weight management tool.

Not being happy with the way you look gives birth to negative self-talk, which in turn weighs down your self-confidence.  Being comfortable with how you look on the other hand will tune-up your self-esteem.

4. Exercise Makes You Smarter

Have you ever wondered why after a morning at the gym or doing runs your concentration is usually at its best? Exercise feeds your brain. It boosts your blood circulation, ensuring that your brain has an adequate supply of oxygen and nutrients. This results in enhanced cognitive brain function.

Improved performance resulting in an enhanced mental function will directly impact your self-confidence.

5. Reducing Stress

Elevated feelings of self-awareness and anxiety have a negative impact on your self-esteem. Exercise has exceptional stress-bursting properties. You have probably experienced a “runner’s high” from the release of feel-good hormones such as dopamine and endorphins during exercise. When these hormones are released, they help regulate stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol.

Alleviating stress helps you focus and manage day to day challenges soberly. This helps you accomplish more: something that will boost your confidence.

6. Increased Sense of Accomplishment

Exercise operates on goal setting. You start doing ten squats a day; then it graduates to fifty in a day. Before you sign up to a gym, there is usually something that you want to achieve. It could be losing weight, toning, or increasing your muscle size. The moment you meet the small progressive goals, a great sense of accomplishment is promoted, and you get the confidence to set and achieve even bigger goals.

By increasing the feeling of accomplishment and feeling good about how you look, exercise improves your self-esteem. Exercise enhances your physical, mental, and emotional health: making it a routine will improve the quality of your life. Contact us at Amarillo Town Club, or stop by and check out our programs and facilities!