HJPPersonaltraining

20/04/2022

Not many people understand how much of an important role general fitness and the gym helps individuals with their mental health.

Participation in regular physical activity can increase our self-esteem and can reduce stress and anxiety. It also plays a role in preventing the development of mental health problems and in improving the quality of life of people experiencing mental health problems.

There are many studies which have shown that doing physical activity can improve mental health. For example, it can help with:

better sleep – by making you feel more tired at the end of the day.

happier moods – physical activity releases feel-good hormones that make you feel better in yourself and give you more energy.

managing stress, anxiety or intrusive and racing thoughts – doing something physical releases cortisol which helps us manage stress. Being physically active also gives your brain something to focus on and can be a positive coping strategy for difficult times.

23/03/2022

Why is getting 8 hours sleep important when it comes to fitness??

Sleep offers the body and brain time to restore and recover, affecting nearly every tissue in the body. According to the National Sleep Foundation, most adults need at least 7 to 9 hours of sleep.

Without enough sleep, people tend to overeat and choose unhealthy foods. Sleep deprivation affects the body’s release of ghrelin and leptin, two neurotransmitters that tell our brain when to consume calories. People who are sleep deprived are more drawn towards high-calorie foods.

We exercise for a purpose: for cardiovascular health, to increase lean muscle mass, to improve endurance, and more. All of these 'goals' require sleep.

In other words, without sleep, exercise does not deliver those benefits.

18/03/2022