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Business Through Purpose

Healthy Mind – Healthy Body

Your emotions are directly related to your physical wellbeing! What?! There is a direct link between how you feel emotionally and how well you are physically! It is very easy to accept the connection between emotional and mental health, but physical too!? No, I’m not on something or going nuts…It has been shown that there is a direct link from your emotional health to your physical health!!

Candace Pert author of, Molecules of Emotion, is a guru on this topic, and has presented and written prolifically, sharing her findings as well as other’s! She made it her mission to discover an opiate receptor in the cells of the body, which would open up a whole new world linking, emotions and physical health! (This was mentioned in my last Blog Post, The Best of You)

Be Strong

Exercise is Awesome!

Having worked in the Wellbeing and Fitness industry for over ten years, I am well aware, as are many people most likely including you, of the importance for balance in life. If you work at a desk, it’s important to move and exercise very regularly. The more time spent sitting, the more vital exercise becomes!

Something which sounds strange, however is actually true is the fact that it actually takes a considerable amount of strength through your spinal erectors (spinal support muscles) and Interscapula muscles (in between the shoulder blades) to keep you in good posture through a whole day at a desk job! If you are someone who trains with weights the general ratio of back vs chest is two to one. In other words two back exercises for every chest exercise (Contact me for more information about exercises and stretches which can help with posture).

Why I am spending time looking at posture and exercise is because there is a much deeper reason for all of us to devote time to this than just good cardiovascular fitness, strength and posture (Which are all good reasons). It has been shown that exercise releases endorphins, the feel good chemical! So regular exercise, regularly releases the feel good chemical! It kind of takes the “I don’t have time for regular exercise” excuse out of the equation for all of us!

The better we feel emotionally, the better we’ll feel and function…and we will be more efficient, make better decisions because our head is clearer. Ultimately, we don’t have time NOT to exercise!

Now that we have evidence before us of something which has long been suspected by many, is actually the case (Healthy bodies are interconnected with feeling good – healthy emotions), we have a no brainer reason to get serious about exercise for all of the benefits it brings! When we are healthier in the way we feel, in our physical fitness, mentally and spiritually; we are at our best!

All About The Attitude

Doctor Barbara Fredrickson a Scientist who has also documented her extensive research on the important connection between our emotional health and our physical wellbeing. She states…”the physical and emotional benefits of positivity, including faster recovery from cardiovascular stress, better sleep, fewer colds, and a greater sense of overall happiness.

The good news is not only that positive attitudes—such as playfulness, gratitude, awe, love, interest, serenity, and feeling connected to others—have a direct impact on health and wellbeing, but that we can develop them ourselves with practice.” Here’s a link to the full article – https://www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/how-do-thoughts-and-emotions-affect-health

A positive attitude is not something you are necessarily born with, it can however be developed and trained! I believe having a balanced and healthy lifestyle where you are caring for your emotional, physical, mental and spiritual health places you in a prime position to live in this empowered, positive head space! What an amazing way to live, to see through positive eyes…for your first reaction to people you interact with, and the circumstances which you find yourself in to generally be a positive one!

Own Responsibility

An important thing to consider at this time is the importance of taking responsibility for where you are in life, and where you want to be. If the two are a long way apart, it’s vital to take action instead of making excuses…If you are currently someone who struggles to squeeze exercise into your schedule, own the responsibility and make it happen, it’s ultimately for your greater good and the good of those you love!

Relaxation And Rejuvenation

Where is Your go to place?

Exercise is a very important element in your life, however there is clearly more to emotional health than just exercising the body, as Dr Barbara mentioned above that attitude, playfulness and the list goes on with the elements which contribute to emotional health. So pursue the best version of you!

If you have a go to place which helps you unwind and rejuvenate, go “there” regularly. It may be a room in the house, the shed, a favourite vacation or a camping site…anywhere we can relax, unwind and rejuvenate is seriously important! (I will write a Blog on going to your “Happy Place” soon).

So here’s to you – wishing you a healthy body and a healthy mind, and may you spend many an hour in your happy place!!

One reply on “Healthy Mind – Healthy Body”

Howdy! This is my first comment here so I just wanted to give a quick shout out and say I truly enjoy reading through your articles. Can you suggest any other blogs/websites/forums that deal with the same topics? Thanks!

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