Photo of Charlie - taken by me
There's nothing better than finishing a workout and feeling on top of the world. Aside from the obvious physical benefits that working out can give you, it can be super beneficial to your mental well being as well.Exercising cause your brains to release endorphin which gives you that high that we experience after finishing physical activity. When you're at mile 6 of a 10 mile run you may not be feeling quite so happy, but when you finish you'll no doubt feel happier and accomplished with what you've just achieved.
Challenging your body physically and conquering a target you've set yourself also feels great. I'll admit that I'm a fairly competitive so I tend to go into workouts with the aim of achieving PB's or beating a previous workout. Everything get's noted down and although I may not always look back over them a week or a month later, when I do have the occasional re-read it's a fantastic feeling seeing developments and improvements. When you complete something you've been working towards for weeks or even longer, that feeling of success is just such a great feeling.
Exercise also gives you a mental break, so if you've had a particular stressful day even going out for a short walk gives your brain a chance to time out and just think about something different. It can be a great way of dealing with stress and just giving yourself a bit of me time when you can challenge your body rather than challenging your mind.
Performing some calming yoga flows before you head to bed can help relax the body, preparing you for a more relaxed and restful sleep. As well as doing yoga in the evening, performing a flow in the morning can gently wake the body up and prepare you for your day. Doing exercise during the day obviously works the body and uses us energy which again can help you have a more peaceful nights sleep. Yoga is something I've always wanted to give a go and incorporate more into my routine to help stretch and relax my body, especially after a tough training session. I think in the morning it will really help to gently wake me up, prepare myself for the day and head into it with a more relaxed attitude. At the moment I can be a little tense and stressful, so I'm hoping that participating in a more relaxed exercise will help just relax me a little bit more.
What do you love most about exercising and what sorts of steps to you take during your workout to finish on a high?
I'm posting everyday as part of my 24 days of Christmas Fitness. Make sure to check back each day for a new post all the way up until Christmas Day!