By Melissa Roth April 28, 2022, VOL. 3 ISSUE 18

Mom of three girls, Melissa is finishing her honours degree in Women and
Gender Studies from Brock University and owns and operates, Buddha
Fitness Studio in Ridgeway. Melissa is a certified trainer with close to a
decade of experience and specializes in women’s health including during
pregnancy and postpartum. She currently writes academic papers for the
university and has a blog on her website where she posts her articles
pertaining to health, wellness and advocating for mental health.

FITNESS AND FLOW (A guide to achieving your optimal self!)

Why should we exercise?

We all know exercise is an important part of maintaining a balanced and healthy life, but how can we incorporate it and like it at the same time? Contrary to popular belief, exercise isn’t a one-size-fits-all equation. Finding what works for you, what you enjoy, and what you have time for is far more important than frequency-that will come with time. Think about it, if you enjoy doing something, you are more likely to continue doing it! Exercise is no different! 

Take the time to find out what you like. Explore different classes like high-intensity interval training, or a yoga class. Both are great exercises, but vastly different.

So, aside from the obvious, what other benefits come with exercise?

Boosts mood

When we exercise, it is no secret we feel better afterward. Even if it is as simple as a brisk walk or a yoga session, we typically feel better afterward. Believe it or not, this isn’t a coincidence. Research suggests that physical activity triggers the release of the hormones dopamine and serotonin in our brains causing this boost in mood. So, try it! Find an exercise style that suits you and continue doing it every day for a few weeks and take note of how you feel!

Better sleep

The correlation between sleep and exercise has been studied and analyzed repeatedly over the years. While there are conflicting specific results in peer-reviewed studies, overall, the consensus is that moderate and frequent exercise over time increases our time asleep, decreases how long it takes to fall asleep, and generally improves the quality of our sleep. Be mindful on when you choose to exercise. Perhaps avoid exercising right before bed in the beginning. For myself, this wakes me up and then I have a hard time falling back asleep. Try exercising first thing in the morning to give you a good boost in mood before starting your day!

Improved self-esteem

If you look better, you feel better. And if you feel better, you perform better. Exercising can boost your self-esteem in many ways. The most common is losing weight, gaining some muscle, and toning your muscle. Your clothes fit better and you have more energy to do the things you love! Self-esteem and positive self-talk is critical to your overall health and wellness!

Finding the right kind of exercise

Finding the right kind of exercise for you is the key to being successful and sticking with it! We tend to think that we have to run or attend a spin class to get the results. While this is true, this is not the only way. Things that we think aren’t physically active, often can be. We need to focus on exercising and liking what our bodies can do, rather than punishing ourselves, our bodies and adopting exercises that don’t fit with our personalities. 

If I enjoy it, is it exercise?

We have fallen victim to this narrative that if we like moving our bodies, then it can’t be working for us. Well, I’m here to tell you that exercise can be fun and in fact, it should be fun! Activities that we may not think are exercise, actually can be. Activities such as;

Gardening, hiking, paddle boarding etc are great exercises for your cardiovascular system and are also fun! So, take the time to figure out what you like! Explore classes, seek out a Personal Trainer, try online video’s. As a Personal Trainer, this is one of my main areas of focus with my clients-finding out what they like and don’t like and ‘run’ with it! Being active and healthy shouldn’t be boring or a chore! It should be fun and exhilarating!

DISCLAIMER:

Before any type of exercise, you must check in with your healthcare provider to ensure the type of exercise is right for your body and your health. 

Melissa Roth (2022)

Owner of Buddha Fitness Studio

Ridgeway, Ontario