The Fitness/Confidence Connection

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There are very few people in this world that are blessed with the perfect body that requires no maintenance. The rest of us must work for what we have, to maintain it or improve it when we aren’t completely satisfied. The people who choose not to workout often see fitness fanatics or even just regular exercisers as vain or wrapped up in only the physical nature of personal fitness. Those people are missing the point.

It’s true, working out when paired with a healthy diet will make your body look good. If you ask anyone why they workout, chances are the first thing they mention will be related to how they look. But, a close second is how it makes them feel. Ladies, you know what all those squats, step ups, and lunges can do for your butt, but what about those things that we get from working out that others can’t see?If you have been working out on a consistent basis for any length of time, you may take the mental benefits of your working out for granted. But, when you have to skip a few days because of injury or a hectic schedule, it is easy to see those benefits. Initially, a few days off seems like a nice break but you may find yourself feeling lazy, moody, or even downright mean. The fact is, exercise does a whole lot more than just give us a bangin’ body. It regulates our moods, improves circulation throughout the body, and boosts our confidence and self image. People who workout tend to walk with their heads held higher, and it isn’t just because they think they look good! Exercise pumps up the endorphins in your body. These feel-good substances are produced in the pituitary gland and send electrical signals in the brain, giving you a sort of exercise buzz. This is what gives you that invincible feeling during an especially good workout. They are considered a natural pain reliever, immune system booster, and even encourage the release of sex hormones.  While there aren’t too many studies on the relationship between exercise and confidence, you only have to ask a gym-goer, runner, or athlete whether they believe their fitness impacts their confidence to get a good answer. A recent study on the elderly showed their confidence was boosted dramatically through regular exercise and a healthy diet. This boost creates a cycle, making it easier to stick with a fitness regimen, as confidence has been shown to have a direct relationship to the success of an exercise program. There’s nothing wrong with working out to get a six-pack or boost your butt a few inches. However, keeping the other benefits in mind just gives you additional incentive to stick with it even when you have achieved your physical goals. People who don’t workout may not know why runners run or why we insist on going to the gym to punish ourselves. But what they don’t understand, and often we don’t understand, is that exercise and the feel good sensations that go with it can produce a healthy addiction and an incredible body to boot.