Often when we hear the word “exercise” we automatically think of being in pain or a state of discomfort. Humans do not enjoy being uncomfortable, so the thought of exercising does not sound appealing. However, what if you knew the benefits exercise brings to your emotional health? As a mother, wouldn’t you enjoy better emotional stamina? Would you enjoy feeling happier and stronger throughout your day? In this article we are going to discuss benefits that motivate you to exercise. You will learn just how exercise improves your emotional health, and what you learn will motivate you to exercise! Are you ready? Let’s get to it!
What Is Exercise?
I’m not insulting your intelligence here. I want to talk about what is exercise so we can be on the same page. When I say “exercise”, I’m not talking about a slow, pleasant walk in the park. Although a nice walk does clear your mind and bring health to your mind and even emotions, that’s not the type of exercise that brings the types of benefits we are desiring here.
The type of exercise I’m referring to is what your doctor says as is the recommended exercise for good health. Increased heart rate, muscle strengthening, flexibility, and correct time duration makes good exercise.
Doctors recommend to get 30 minutes of exercise 3 times a week.
Benefits That Motivate You To Exercise
1. Better Sleep
The Release of Endorphins
When you exercise, your body releases endorphins. Endorphins are chemicals that make you feel happy. Any mother ready for more of that in their lives? Interestingly, for some individuals, endorphins also help keep them awake. Exercising 1-2 hours before going to bed may help the body to slow down and prepare for sleep.
Calms The Mind
Do you experience your brain running wild with every thought under the sun before you fall asleep? Are you a mother who has to go through all her thoughts and concerns about her day and the next day before you feel like you can sleep peacefully? Me too!
Exercise helps calm the mind. When you exercise, it helps your brain to clear out and calm down. This may help those of us with racing minds to fall asleep faster when we lay down at night.
Raises Body Temperature
What does a raised body temperature have to do with helping the body fall asleep? According to John Hopkins Medicine in their article “Exercising For Better Sleep”, when your body’s temperature is raised, it signals that it’s time to be awake. When your body temperature falls, it signals your body that it’s time to relax and go to sleep. Exercising may help with this shift in body temperature and aid in better sleep!
2. Boosted Self-Esteem
One possible benefit of exercise is loosing weight. I say “possible” because sometimes exercise alone isn’t enough for some individuals to loose weight. If you experience this, be sure to reach out to your doctor to find the best solution for you!
Loosing weight for mothers can boost self-esteem! You may start to fit into those pants you’ve been wanting to wear for ages! You notice your arms, neck, belly, butt, and legs all start to look more attractive and slimmer as you gain more muscle and loose the fat.
Another way exercise can boost your self-esteem is by the release of endorphins. Endorphins are chemicals in your body that make you feel good and happy. You may experience a boost in self-esteem as you exercise because you feel happy and proud of yourself for even attempting to exercise! Yes, be proud of yourself! Every small step of improvement deserves praise!
3. Decreased Depression
It’s not new information that exercise decreases the risk or experience of depression and its symptoms. As we discussed above, exercise releases endorphins in the body. These hormones cause you to feel happy! This may help those with depression to experience less depressive symptoms.
Exercising outside has additional benefits of decreasing depression. If you are someone who struggles with depression, and you’d like to know more about how exercise can help improve your symptoms, be sure to reach out to your doctor! They will be able to help guide you further down this path of physical exercise improving depressive symptoms.
4. Improved Mental Function
When you get your body moving, your blood flowing, and your lungs breathing there’s all of a sudden so much more for your brain to focus on! Instead of fretting over what one of your kids said at school today, or that rude driver you encountered on the road, your brain is focusing on something else.
Exercise has a way of clearing the mind and improving mental function. Would you enjoy a clearer mind and improved cognitive ability? Then put your shoes on and go for a walk! Take your dog and/or baby for a jog, do some yoga, or even light weight training at home.
Get moving to experience the benefit of improved mental function!
5. Increased Resiliency
What is resiliency? It is the ability to “bounce back” after a stressful or difficult event. Think of a rubber band. You can put stress on it by pulling, but when you let go, the rubber band returns to its normal shape. Having good resiliency means you are able to return to your normal, comfortable state after a stressful event.
Exercise has the ability to improve your resiliency. This may be due to the fact that when you exercise, your body releases stress. Releasing built up stress from the body helps improve resiliency and helps you to return to your normal state faster.
Exercise helps to protect you from the effects of stressful events in your life. Start exercising to improve your resiliency!
If you would like to learn more about resiliency in motherhood, read my article “5 Reasons Why Building Resiliency In Motherhood Is Important And How To Do It“.
6. Lowers Risk Of Cardiovascular Disease & Stroke
According to the CDC, in their article “Benefits Of Physical Activity”, getting at least 150 minutes, or 2 1/2 hours, of moderate physical activity per week will decrease your risk of developing these top killers in America!
As you exercise, you improve your heart health and heart strength. Keep moving to have a happy and healthy heart!
7. Muscle Growth
Would you enjoy a rounder, lifted booty? How about more defined arms? Want to improve your leg strength and muscle tone? Exercise that strengthens your muscles will put all the right things in all the right places on your body. You’ll look slimmer, feel stronger, and look beautiful!
Muscle growth is beneficial for another thing – decreased risk of injury. When your body is strong, you are less likely to cause injury to yourself when lifting something heavy or moving something around the house.
Thirdly, muscle growth also means denser bones, which we will discuss next.
8. Denser Bones
How does increasing muscle strength cause your bones to become stronger and denser? According to an article by Harvard Health Publishing called “The Muscle-Bone Connection”, bones become stronger when the muscles grow.
Muscles are directly connected to the bones of the body. As the muscles grow, they put greater weight on the bones. Additionally, as muscles grow, they “pull” harder on the bones. The body notices this change and signals to increase bone density to help support the growing muscles. If an individual has decreased muscle mass, their bones will also become more brittle.
So exercise to keep your bones healthy!
9. Stronger Immunity
According to an article by Healthline called “Does Exercise Improve Immunity?”, exercise is able to boost the immune system. How does this happen?
When you exercise, your heart rate increases and blood flows faster through your body. This improves blood circulation. With improved circulation comes the benefits the blood carries for the body. One benefit the blood has for the body is immune cells. These cells, as you guessed it, help provide immunity to illnesses that enter the body.
Then, when you exercise, your body experiences an improved circulation of immune cells throughout your body. This boosts your immune system!
Start exercising to improve the circulation of immune cells to your body!
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10. Reduced Anxiety
Those who exercise experience decreased anxiety. This may be due to several reason – the release of stress in the body, the release of endorphin, your mind focusing on your body moving, the need for oxygen, etc. instead of whatever may stress you out.
If you would enjoy less anxiety in your life, try a simple change in your daily routine to experience the benefit of less anxiety! Go for a walk every day, do light yoga, or enjoy light weight lifting. Whatever you do, your body will thank you for it!
11. Stronger Heart
Your heart is a muscle. As you exercise, your heart rate increases. This strengthens the heart muscle. What happens to the body when the heart muscle is strong? The answer is more efficient blood flow throughout the body! More blood can easily be pumped through the heart and to the body when the heart muscle is strong. This means that the heart will not need to work as hard to supply the body with the needed nutrients and oxygen that the blood supplies.
If the heart muscle is strong and not needing to pump so hard to meet the body’s needs for oxygen and nutrients, then guess what? The heart is able to REST for longer periods of time between heart beats! What does that mean for you? It means your heart will last longer and rest more!
12. Gives You Time For You
What is your perception of exercise? Do you think of it as something to hate and push to the back burner of your to-do list? Does the thought of exercising send a ping of pain through your body? Perhaps it’s time to change the way you view exercising!
As you’ve read above, there are so many wonderful benefits to exercising for the body. However, exercising gives you another wonderful benefit – time for you! Motherhood is very demanding. I know for myself, it seems like I can’t even sit to eat my breakfast without having to immediately get up and help one of my kids with something (this morning I couldn’t even finish my breakfast!).
Exercising for even 10 minutes a day gives you time to care for yourself and reap all the benefits we discussed in this article. Of course, this article is not exhaustive in its list of benefits that exercise gives to your body, but there are enough benefits here to motivate you to keep (or start) exercising!
Caution Pregnant/Postpartum Mothers!
A word of caution to pregnant and postpartum mothers! If you are pregnant or recently had a baby, you should use caution while exercising at home. While pregnant, only exercise to the degree that you did prior to your pregnancy. Going beyond your body’s current level can bring injury to you.
Mothers who are postpartum or breastfeeding should also use caution while exercising at home. This is because your body is still producing the hormone relaxin while breastfeeding. This hormone causes your joint and ligaments to be loose. Additionally, mothers who recently had a baby may still have loose joints and ligaments until their body’s hormones fully regulate.
Always be sure to talk to your doctor with any questions you have regarding exercise during pregnancy, postpartum or breastfeeding! Be sure to discuss any concerns you have regarding your body with your doctor as well!
Leave A Comment!
What benefit of exercises motivated you the most? We would love to hear it! Write a comment below sharing your thoughts with us!
Want To Learn More?
If you would like to learn more about how you can boost your emotional health in motherhood, check out these other articles!
Accepting Your New Identity As Mom
5 Reasons Why Building Resiliency In Motherhood Is Important, And How To Do It
5 Tips For Reducing Mom Stress