Many people are on a constant quest to get better. Whether it’s mental or physical, many of us try daily to improve our lives by setting goals and trying to reach them faster and more efficiently.
Exercise can help you reach your fullest potential in both brain and body. Along with improving your physical condition, it can also benefit your mind through the positive effects on your brain.
This article is going to teach you the brain-positive effects of five different types of exercise in addition to showing you all the different mind states each type can achieve.
Reaching fitness goals requires discipline
Have you ever met a star athlete that worked out “sometimes”? Or a successful banker that showed up late for work every day?
Probably not! Like any goal, attaining peak fitness requires a schedule that needs to be consistent. And the trick to making that work is to envision success before you obtain it. That way, you can establish the right frame of mind to power through the hard times.
Since this post is about stimulating your mind through exercise, we’re going to offer you five different mindsets that can be cultivated with exercise. And as mentioned earlier, envisioning success while you are in the process of achieving it brings the best results.
1. Cultivate star power with dancing
Dancing has really taken off in recent years, especially with mainstream shows like “So You Think You Can Dance” and “Dancing With The Stars”.
And contrary to what some people might think, dancing is super hard! It requires a combination of skills that include coordination, rhythm and memory. For many people working in today’s fast-paced technological environment, cultivating memory skills is a huge challenge.
It may be difficult, but it’s totally worth it! Nailing dance moves take time, but when you finally do it, you are setting your body in motion and wiring your brain with star power you can carry into every aspect of your life.
2. Build defensive power with martial arts
“You can ensure the safety of your defence if you only hold positions that cannot be attacked.”
Sun Tzu, The Art of War
Martial arts is more than just kicks and punches. It is an entire spiritual discipline that helps you cultivate energy and strength along with the wisdom to know when to use it.
Practising martial arts at first is hard, and it feels like the instructors make you do the moves a million times. Progress, however, will surely come if you work hard enough.
Practising moves over and over again forces the rewiring of your brain while improving coordination and discipline. And besides developing a powerful body, practising martial arts helps you develop the mental fortitude required to power through the difficult situations life brings your way.
3. Reach spiritual perfection with yoga
Yoga has taken on many forms in how it’s marketed and sold throughout the world. Despite its many descriptions, a proven fact is that it’s thousands of years old and can be traced back to a sage named Patanjali that wrote down a path for reaching divinity through spiritual practices.
Yoga combines breath with movement while requiring focus and concentration. It literally forces you to be calm and mindful, and those skills go a long way in dealing with many of the challenges brought about by our fast-paced world.
Yoga practitioners also turn to Ayurveda, the Indian system of medicine that promotes health through nutrition, movement and supplementation. Ashwagandha is an essential supplement that can help reduce stress and cultivate health safely, naturally, and effectively.
4. Build superhero strength by lifting weights
Lifting weights is one of the most important forms of exercise, whether you’re a preteen starting high school or a grandma of five that’s gotten out of shape over the years.
Strength training builds both mental and physical power. It also builds metabolism-boosting muscle while stimulating brain activity through improved coordination.
Setting goals and tracking your progress are essential parts of the practice. Each week you can add a small amount of weight for significant results over the long term. Besides building an impressive body, weight training cultivates strong mental capabilities and promotes brain health.
There are lots of supplements out there that range from pre-workout mixes to protein powders. As a way to boost both body and mind, we recommend Alpha GPC to enhance your physical performance while improving mood and enhancing focus.
5. Push your limits with HIIT
High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) combines periods of fast-paced activity with rest periods to maximize fat burning and improve cardiovascular health. Rather than walking on a treadmill while watching mind-numbing TV, HIIT forces you to focus on what you’re doing- and that can benefit your mind as well as your body.
Finishing a tough workout not only feels great, but it builds confidence and a feeling of invincibility. When done repeatedly, this trains your brain to believe that you can achieve great things – and that’s because you can!
How Exercise Benefits Your Brain
According to health experts, exercise keeps your brain active by raising your heart rate and increasing blood flow to your entire body (including your head). This brings oxygen and nutrients to all parts of your system for a wide range of physical and mental health benefits.
When more oxygen is delivered to your brain, a process called neurogenesis occurs. This results in the increased production of neurons in specific parts of the brain that govern memory and cognition. Besides enhancing brain power, neurogenesis is essential to prevent diseases such as dementia.
Avoid overtraining and make sure to recover!
Exercise can feel great and bring many benefits, however, it is possible to overdo it. It’s essential to get enough protein and fats in your diet along with supplements to reduce the harmful effects of oxidation such as:
Rhodiola Rosea – to reduce fatigue and combat exhaustion
Reduced glutathione – to prevent damage caused by free radicals, peroxides, and heavy metals
Magnesium Threonate – to help muscles relax, reduce anxiety and promote better sleep