In many ways, life has been put on hold for the last year. This period is something we may look back on and think ‘the world paused’. Our routines have stopped, we have become stagnant in progress and although there is a roadmap back to normality, some people may need their own time to get back to that. Returning to the gym can help. Exercising helps trigger endorphins in the brain which improves the ability to prioritise. Your routine will become clearer and progress can resume. For many, the gym was part of normality - to recommence will rejuvenate...
The lockdown has taken its toll on mental health. In fact, the below quote from mental health foundation mentalhealth.org is, enlightening:
“Many people have likely experienced loneliness during lockdown and in particular, been affected by lack of physical contact with their friends, families and peers, and the boredom and frustration associated with a loss of all the activities they have been used to taking part in.”
It is well known and has already been shouted about that exercise improves mental health. To put some numbers on that point, you’re up to a 30% lower risk of depression if you exercise. This in addition to exercise being a natural and effective anti-anxiety treatment. But it’s not just all about the exercise that returning to the gym will do for the mind. It’s the social aspect. That human interaction that the pandemic has prevented has been sorely missed - so if you’re looking for that extra motivation, that extra benefit to returning to the gym other than to be healthier, it really is a social bubble where you can make new friends. It may help you feel revitalised...
To state the obvious, returning to the gym will make you healthier. It breathes new life and vitality into your mind and body both in the short and long term. ‘Quick wins’ you will be able to see from a return to exercise will be increased energy levels, sharpened focus and an enhanced general mood. However in the long term, effects on the body occur such as weight loss, lower risk of heart disease and improved skin health.
But actually, two of the three verbs (rejuvenate and revitalise) used above are words for feeling happier. And that’s one thing that a return to the gym can ultimately do in the short and long term - make you feel happier. Whether that is because you’ll be back in a routine, make a new friend or achieve a goal that you set, all of these different benefits can be brought through exercise. It is a community feel where everyone has something in common and we cannot wait to recommence.
