Fitness with Neal
Don’t Worry, Be happy (and Exercise)
Neal Henderson
You contemplated for about 10 minutes whether to set your alarm for an hour earlier so you can make it to the gym before work. Like a blink of an eye, the 6AM alarm goes off. Now normally this is when you roll over and hit the snooze button about four times until you come up with a reason to justify your decision to not get yourself up for your morning workout. “I’ll plan to go after work” or “I just won’t eat that much today” you tell yourself. But like a broken record, soon as that clock hits quitting time, you’re tired and just want to go home, relax, and even think about grabbing Chick-fil-A on the way home. That night before you go to sleep, regret creeps in and you start thinking how sluggish you feel from all the decisions you made today. Once again, you set that early alarm, but like most, continue on this cycle of putting off exercise and not sticking to a healthy diet which leads to not only weight gain, but puts a toll on our mental health as well. When you’re not happy, your body will react accordingly. Overcoming this internal battle and keeping yourself above those negative vibes is vital for a positive and healthy life.
You know that accomplished feeling you get whenever you walk out of the gym? You’re covered in sweat but you feel like a million bucks. Well, it’s because exercise makes you happy—trust me, its science. After strenuous exercise, your body releases a chemical called dopamine which plays a big role in feeling happiness or pleasure. Not only that, exercise also increases your energy and boosts confidence. Most of this information should be common sense, but sometimes it is a good reminder of just how many positive reasons there are for something as simple as going for a walk.