Exercise to Improve Discipline, Mental Health, and Life

Did you fail your new year’s resolution already? How to stick to your routine and other tips.

Exercising is everyone’s new year’s resolution. But did you know that by the second week of January, people start to fail at their promises? By the time February arrives, 43% of people will have given up on their resolutions.

This year is special, though. Not only we had holidays, but a long quarantine before that. Some of us have put up a weight that doesn’t leave us. Some have had the blues that we can’t seem to shake up.

The rates of depression and anxiety have gone through the roof. According to the WHO, depression increased by 25% during the first year of the COVID pandemic.

Exercising may be the single most cost-effective strategy to maintain mental health.

And if you have already failed your New Year’s Resolutions, don’t worry. I have some tips for you.

What Are the Mental Health Advantages?

People who exercise have better mental well-being; they are less likely to suffer from mental illnesses.

Exercise boosts your mood and concentration, thus, giving you a more positive outlook in life and making you more efficient at work. Additionally, exercise distracts you from negative thoughts and can be an outlet for your frustrations.

Antidepressant medications and exercise share one similar biological mechanism. A few studies show that exercise can be as effective as therapy or antidepressants against the blues — or even up to moderate depression.

But,

“The evidence for exercise as a treatment for depression is insufficient to recommend it as a front-line treatment for this disorder”¹

Finally, if you look better, you will feel better.

How Much Exercise Is Enough?

Good news here, exercise doesn’t have to be strenuous or prolonged. You can reap its benefits fairly easily.

According to Better Health, a good target is 2.5–5 hours of moderate physical health or 1.25–2.5 of vigorous exercise per week.

The American recommendations are along those lines. The CDC and the American Diabetics Association both recommend 150 minutes per week of moderate exercise. Luckily, how you divide those minutes is up to you.

Keep in mind that any exercise is better than no exercise. If you can’t meet the requirements this week. Don’t fret. Try going for a walk. Even the chores that have been piling up (such as sweeping, mopping, and vacuuming) will give you a mild benefit.

How to Get Started

If you’ve been sedentary for years and you want a beach body by summer, it might be better if you focus in the long run. Setting overly ambitious goals can cripple your relationship with exercise.

Imagine being motivated for a few months, only to realize that you do not see any changes. This disappointment may make you feel an aversion to exercise. It may even make you think that exercise is not for you.

Don’t focus on the goal, focus on the process.

Start small. Instead of using the elevator, take the stairs. Instead of driving to the store, walk. There are many ways to incorporate exercise into your daily routine.

If you have not exercised in a while, it is better if you set your schedule and stick to it. Even if you half-ass through the routine. Stick to it.

If you start exercising too strenuously, it can leave a bad taste in your mouth. Waking up constantly to sore muscles is a punishment. Also, lacking energy throughout the day because you put yourself through a beating makes exercise a nightmare.

Sure, regardless, some days will feel like self-flagellating. That is unavoidable. But if you, instead, make it enjoyable. It will pay off in the long run.

Not All Is Fun and Games

But don’t overdo the fun part, either. Part of the fun is the challenge. Part of the fun is pushing your body to the limits. Part of improving yourself is letting be amazed by your body’s capabilities.

Surpassing boundaries you didn’t know existed is an awesome feeling. For me, I feel amazing when I can top off the treadmill for minutes — something inconceivable before. It is like I am returning the favor on the machine and punishing in return.

It also feels amazing to lift more and more weight.

Find your balance between enjoyable and challenging. But in the beginning, err on the side of enjoyment.

A Remedy for Boredom

Start with an activity that you enjoy. Then slowly add other exercises that are less likable.

I, for example, dislike cardio. I just don’t enjoy it. But If I mix it with weightlifting it becomes more fun. In a way, it complements each other. Cardio relaxes me. So, after lifting some weights, I hit the treadmills or the stationary bikes.

In the long run, weightlifting gets boring too. It turns into yet another Sisyphean task. It is just essentially pushing and pulling.

So, I mix it up. I look for new exercises or mix and match them into weird varieties to keep me going. I spice it up a bit.

Also, I’ve stopped weightlifting altogether. Why not do indoor rock climbing? Why not try tennis or mountain biking? By making exercise more enjoyable, I increase my chances of sticking to it.

Reward Yourself

Let’s say you accomplish your goal of exercising most days of the week. Reward yourself somehow.

I, especially if I overshoot my goal, allow myself to be lazy one day of the week. I can choose the day. Maybe I will reward myself with a walk in the woods. Other times, I decide to stay home and just play video games. Sometimes I buy myself a book.

Maybe your reward can be ice cream or a meal at a restaurant. Only you know how to keep yourself motivated. Or maybe you don’t know yourself, which you will figure out along the way.

By exercising with the long run in sight, you get to know yourself. You will learn how to deal with your inner couch potato. How to reward it, and how to push it. It is trial and error.

Pushing and pulling our lazy side is a quintessential skill and can be translated to other areas.

You won’t always be motivated, build up your discipline for when motivation fails.

Conclusion

Exercise may distract and relax you. It will also keep you away from certain thoughts, but that isn’t necessarily good. Exercise won’t fix distorted patterns of thinking. Depending on your case, it may be a better idea to confront them, along with a therapist.

If you are currently suffering from depression and anxiety, doing both — exercise and therapy — is the best strategy. Also, medication is safe and effective against depression and anxiety. So, if you suffer from them, consider this therapy option. At the end of the day, it is important that you discuss this with a professional, and both decide what is best for you.

Please take care of yourself.

Bibliography:

1. Dunn, Andrea L.1; Jewell, Jennifer S.2. The Effect of Exercise on Mental Health. Current Sports Medicine Reports 9(4):p 202–207, July 2010. | DOI: 10.1249/JSR.0b013e3181e7d9af