1) Introduction a. Thesis – Everyone knows that playing sports and exercising is good for the body, but many people don’t realize how good it is for the mind also. It can help you with mental performance, focus, and your memory as well. II) There is a special kind of connection our minds have with our bodies. a. Our minds need to be taken care of just as much as our bodies b. Training the body also trains the mind
C. Training the body keeps us healthy III) Exercising can improve your life overall. a. It teaches us about hard work and discipline b. It is a great stress reliever i. releases chemicals like endorphins and dopamine that make you feel good ii. Increases oxygen flow leading to increased focus and performance IV) Exercising prevents against many illnesses a. Great alternative to prescription medication in: i. Depression and anxiety ii. Insomnia iii. Alcohol and cigarette addiction
b. Helps prevent major disease like cancer and heart problems V) Conclusion – Many people don’t exercise because they don’t think they are athletes so they don’t think it is for them but what many people don’t realize is just how many forms of exercising there are, so there is something for everyone, something everyone can enjoy. The hard part is making yourself get up and do the work, but when you do I believe you will find a sport or type of exercise that you like, and the longer you do it the more positive effects your will feel in your mind and in your body.
Good Health and Wellbeing Through Exercise 3 “Playing sports and exercising is good for the body, but many people don’t realize how good it is for their minds and overall wellbeing. “The role of exercise on brain function is well documented” (Konopka, 2015). Many people play sports or lift weights to build muscle or to look better, but working out has a long list of benefits that are not just about physical appearance. For a while now, however, scientists have wondered about exercise and explored its links to health, behavior, and performance.
Exercise does as much good for the mind as it does for the body; it affects the body and mind in a parallel form. There is a special connection the mind has with the body. They both rely on each other because the mind controls and regulates the body but it also controls itself as well, so in order for them to both work properly they both need to be taken care of. Therefore, if both one of them does not have the nutrients and training it needs, they will both be affected.
One form of the mind body connection is the way the body responds to the mind by sending and receiving signals to and from it while the mind translates signals from the body and the environment. For example, whenever the body is sick it sends signals to the mind, or when the body gets hurt it sends pain signals to the mind so that the mind can start taking care of the illness or the injury. It also acts as a warning to the person letting them know they must not do anything to hurt themselves further and to take certain actions to make themselves feel better.
Often when the mind feels too many negative emotions like stress, depression, or sadness the body responds to it and turns it into a physical problem like fever, cancer, heart failure, or a mental problem like anxiety or Good Health and Wellbeing Through Exercise depression. So when people feel these negative emotions they are less likely to take care of themselves and their health. This can be especially bad for students by leaving them too stressed to perform well or by simply reducing their motivation to work hard and succeed. However, all of these issues can be avoided through exercise.
Instead of negative emotions leading to physical problems, exercising can eliminate these issues by releasing negative emotions at the gym through an intense workout instead of keeping them stored inside the mind, and by increasing the flow of oxygen and other chemicals to the brain during the workout which creates a pleasant feeling for the individual. Heart disease, depression, and alcohol or drug abuse are some of the major causes of death in the United States. Anxiety, insomnia, and the abuse or misuse of prescription medication are other major problems that exist today.
However, the chances of having any of these disease is greatly reduced or can even be eliminated through exercise. According to a study on exercise and depression by Carek & Laibstain (2011), the researchers found that by improving a person’s overall mood exercise can help reduce the symptoms of some mental illnesses like depression. This study shows that exercise is not only good for preventing and treating certain illnesses and maintaining a healthy heart, but the lack of exercise can actually lead to various illnesses as well.
This study also supports the idea that instead of taking all kinds of prescription medications that can have many dangerous side effects, exercise can be a healthy alternative and should always be considered when thinking about treatment options. It is also much cheaper than the common forms of treatment that would be used to treat these medical conditions. Good Health and Wellbeing Through Exercise 5 Insomnia, or the lack of ability to sleep, is another major issue that many people around the world have.
The lack of sleep causes problems especially for students because it is crucial for processing and remembering information so it decreases their performance in school. According to a study by Baron, Reid, & Zee (2013) insomnia is not just the lack of ability to sleep, it can also come with other negative effects like anxiety, depression, and a reduced level of mental performance the next day. So insomnia can be a side effect of depression or it can cause depression as well as several other problems. In this study researchers and participants found that just a few months of regular exercise can greatly increase anyone’s ability to fall asleep.
It also makes people sleep for a longer amount of time without waking up, and feeling more rested in the morning. Research has also shown that exercise can reduce or even get rid of people’s desire to drink alcohol; therefore, it can help alcoholics or other addicts to get sober. According to a study about the effects of exercise on alcoholics by Brown, Abrantes, Read, Marcus, Jakicic, Strong, Oakley, Ramsey, Kahler, Stuart, Dubreuil & Gordon ( 2009), exercise can have the same effect on alcoholics as it does for people with depression.
The common form of treating alcoholism is through prescription medications, but this study shows that physical activity can be a cheaper and much better option. It forces the individual to be more active, and form a healthy routine that they can do instead of wasting time drinking. Although there is still more research that should be done in this area. The goal of these researches should be to clarify the benefits resulting from exercising and favorable than medical treatment in this area.
