Exercise: does it really help?

I exercise regularly – it’s an integral part of my routine. Growing up, though, I wasn’t someone who you’d necessarily classify as athletic. Sure, I was a solid netball player (if not only because of my height) and fit enough, but it wasn’t until I entered my adult years and made exercise a part of my routine that it became something I felt was an essential part of my life. I rely on it, or rather, the feeling it imparts. Exercise grounds me, motivates me, awakens me each day, and helps me to sleep better each night.

So, what happens when we don’t exercise? Based on personal experience, the effects are almost instantly noticeable. It’s no secret that there’s a relationship between exercise and mental health (read more here). The endorphins our brains produce during exercise are a proven mood-booster, they can increase pleasure and decrease symptoms common to both anxiety and depression. Exercise can also reduce stress levels, help regulate our circadian rhythm (helping you to sleep better), and studies indicate that cardiovascular exercise can even create new brain cells through a process called neurogenesis, which helps strengthen memory and prevent cognitive decline.

From a broad, holistic perspective, the benefits of exercise are pretty clear, both for our mental and physical wellbeing. But what about on a more micro level? How do we experience the benefits of exercise on a day-to-day basis? For me, as mentioned, exercise enables me to connect with myself, to feel thing more acutely, breathe more deeply, and see the day with clarity. More than that, though, exercise is a form of catharsis, a release of all the pain and pent-up frustration that we fight to hide.  

In saying all this, it can sometimes be really hard to go and exercise (early winter mornings are no joke). It can’t be a question of motivation, because motivation is inconsistent and fleeting. It has to be about something more, something bigger. It has to be about prioritising the feeling, the engagement of the senses that exercise provides. That way, it becomes a habit rather than a chore tacked on to your to-do list. It won’t always be easy, but the feeling afterward, well, there’s nothing like it.