Have you ever experienced this:
When work stress mounts and you feel restless, going for
a run immediately lifts your mood significantly.
Feeling sad and down, struggling to get motivated,
breaking into sweat quickly brings relief.
Exercise seems to have a magical effect, releasing
stress, relieving boredom, and swiftly lifting you out of emotional turmoil.
Just 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise can
immediately improve depressive moods and restore a sense of pleasure.
"If you're feeling down, exercising will lift your
mood, and that feeling of knowing you're about to get better will completely
change your mindset."
As people enter middle age, work, life, and family
matters pile up, bringing constant worries.
Instead of feeling lost in emotional turmoil, why not
dissipate it through the joy of exercise?
Getting moving is actually the simplest way for us to
relieve anxiety and stress.
Exercise is a quick-acting remedy for emotional healing.
Psychologists have found that exercise has
"short-term emotional effects".
Specifically, after exercise, levels of negative emotions
like anxiety and depression significantly decrease, while feelings of happiness
significantly increase.
This phenomenon is determined by the unique structure of
the human body:
When faced with difficulties, the amygdala in the brain
continuously releases stress hormones, making us feel nervous and anxious.
Exercise allows the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus in
the body to inhibit the excessive reaction of the amygdala, thereby alleviating
emotions.
As the saying goes, "Exercise is a quick-acting
remedy for emotional healing."
I once came across a story shared by a netizen, which
left a deep impression:
An elder, in his fifties, lost his son.
Unable to accept reality, he was melancholic all day
long, shedding tears.
One fine day, the elder's office organized a running
event.
His colleagues hoped to change his mood and took the
initiative to sign him up and brought him to the event.
After persevering through it, this elder completed the
entire run.
Unexpectedly, it was this exhilarating run that began to
change his life:
Upon reaching the finish line, he listened to his own
heartbeat and felt an unprecedented sense of relaxation.
And all the negative emotions seemed to be temporarily
forgotten.
From then on, he started morning runs regularly.
Day after day, he gradually emerged from the pain of
losing his son, no longer feeling angry or sad all day long, and even became more
emotionally stable than before.
Exercise is an efficient "spiritual detox,"
evaporating negative emotions along with sweat, refreshing both body and mind.
So, when you're feeling down, why not exercise? Go for a
run, punch a bag, kick a ball, swim...
With the rhythmic breathing and stretching of the body,
the shackles of emotions will quietly loosen, and everything will return to
peace without a fuss.
Finnish scientists have conducted specialized experiments
on this:
They found 10 pairs of twins and had one exercise at
least twice a week, while the other one did not exercise.
Three years later, it was found that those who exercised
every week had clearer thinking, and were better able to cope with stress.
To gain continuous emotional control, one must maintain a
long-term exercise habit.
In this way, emotional issues can be addressed from the
root.
Middle age is a time when the waves of stress are
constantly rising and falling:
The oppression of setbacks in the workplace, pessimism in
marriage, and helplessness in life... The waves of emotions challenge our
hearts time and time again.
And exercise is the simplest way to improve cognition and
manage emotions.
By constantly elevating cognition through exercise, one
can truly gain the power to resist the flood of emotions.
In this way, even with the twists and turns of life, we
can still find a way out.
Exercise not only heals the present gloomy mood but also
provides long-lasting spiritual nourishment.
To manage your emotions through exercise, you may consider
the following suggestions:
Choose exercises based on emotions to quickly dispel
negativity.
Feeling angry? Try boxing.
Overwhelmed with stress? Try yoga.
Feeling impulsive? Go hiking.
Feeling sad and upset? Dive into the pool.
Maintain a long-term exercise habit to hold the key to
emotions.
In addition to short-term emotional relief, making
exercise a habit to thoroughly improve cognition and enhance the ability to
manage emotions.
Regarding the perseverance of long-term exercise, here
are some suggestions:
Exercise at least 3 times a week, each time for about 45
minutes.
Focus on aerobic training, while also incorporating
strength training, ensuring a significant increase in heart rate during
exercise.
Maintain enthusiasm for exercise and avoid giving up
halfway. Here are a few tips to use:
a. Set gradual goals
b. Diversify exercise choices
c. Join a sports groups
Middle age is an age when life is not easy, but we must
persevere.
When you encounter setbacks and are filled with sadness,
go exercise.
With your head held high, sweat pouring, the haze in your
heart will eventually dissipate.
When you feel anxious and stuck in inner conflicts, also
go exercise.
Stretch out your arms, keep moving, and all the
suppression will vanish with the wind.
When you are self-sufficient and disciplined enough, you
will find that there are no hurdles that cannot be overcome and no problems
that cannot be solved.
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