Daily Exercise for Greater Happiness

“Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.” – Joseph Addison

Welcome back to day 5 of Healthy Mind Power Week. 7 days of short inspiring articles to get your month off to the right start.  This month we are focusing on Happiness Habits that if implemented into your life will bring your life greater joy, meaning and purpose.

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Lets dive right in:

Daily Exercise

Exercise releases endorphins. Endorphins are the feel-good chemicals released through exercise. Your body also produces serotonin, norepinephrine, BDNF and dopamine. All of which have huge positive benefits for the mind. The combination of these five chemicals will boost your mood, and have been proved to help to relieve both anxiety and depression. These chemicals have an instant affect on our happiness.

More importantly, making a small amount of exercise a daily habit, can make us happier long term. This happens by improving our health and increasing feelings of self confidence. We feel happier because we feel progress towards our goals. Exercise is also a distraction from negative thoughts and stress, leaving us with more energy for other aspects of life.

The type of exercise we do can affect our happiness. Studies show that medium intensity workouts can leave us feeling more positive than High intensity. HIIT can leave us feeling tired and potentially create negative feelings towards fitness.

I love yoga as my daily exercise habit. It encompasses meditation, another important happiness habit, and is a medium intensity workout that leaves me feeling rejuvenated. Find a workout that is best for you. A short walk can do wonders, remember that you are lapping everyone on the couch. A daily habit of something small is much better for your mental well-being than an exhausting 2-3 hour gym workout once a week. Consistency is everything.

The Challenge

Today I challenge you to begin a daily exercise habit. Try not to over commit to a long and exhausting workout. Begin with something that you can stick with. Remember that these happiness habits are supposed to be lifelong commitments. Committing to an hour at the gym everyday may not be the best lifelong option for you. It takes 28 days to form a habit. Be sure to create a conscious or literal reminder for the first few weeks until the habit is part of your daily routine.

If you love Instagram, post a snap of your workout today and tag us @_mindbodylife with the hashtag #healthymindpowerweek so we can share in your daily happiness habit.

We look forward to seeing you back here tomorrow for Day 5 of our Happiness Habits, Healthy Mind Power Week. Be sure to subscribe for our free newsletter jam-packed with inspirational content, nutritional advice, motivation and yoga expertise!

P.S – If you missed day 1, check it out here

P.P.S – If you love Fitness and Yoga clothes, check out our SHOP full of our favorite workout gear to get you inspired to begin your daily workouts!

Have a wonderful day

Love and Light

Lauren x