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Jillies Blog

health and wellness, fitness, foodie, lifestyle, better health

  • HEALTH & WELLNESS
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Our Mood is Affected by Exercise

December 13, 2022

When you exercise, your body releases chemicals called endorphins. These endorphins interact with the receptors in your brain that reduce your perception of pain. Endorphins also trigger a positive feeling in the body.

1 Natural Endorphins

It appears that exercise can improve our mood by actually altering our brain chemistry. 

Exercise has been found to change the levels of a number of brain chemicals, including endorphins and serotonin. Endorphins are released by the body when we exercise to block any feelings of discomfort or pain.  As well as blocking pain endorphins also appear to enhance pleasure and lift our mood.

Serotonin has a number of functions in the body including regulating sleep, libido appetite and mood.  It is thought that exercise alters serotonin levels elevating one’s mood.  Some studies have found exercise to be as effective as antidepressants for mild cases of depression.

2 Exercise is Medicine (EIM)

When we are stressed or anxious the body produces adrenalin as part of what is referred to as the “flight or fight” response.  Adrenalin readies the body for action by elevating blood pressure and increasing the heart rate and breathing rate. 

It makes sense then that one way to reduce adrenalin levels is to behave as nature intended by “fighting or flighting” in the form of exercise. 

Exercise gets rid of excess adrenalin and reduces built up feelings of tension and stress.  This is one reason why exercise is referred to as medicine.

Start slowly, you might think about taking steps instead of the lift at work. Tolerate the discomfort you feel when starting your exercise program. You may be breathless or sore in the muscles. These symptoms will improve as your lung capacity improves and your muscles get used to the exercise.

3 Self-esteem and body image

Exercise can improve a person’s fitness, strength and endurance.  When our bodies feel fit and strong it makes us feel good about ourselves. 

Regular exercise combined with healthy eating can help maintain a healthy weight range.

Similarly participating in different physical activities provides a great opportunity for people to learn a new skill and or improve one’s ability.  Improving a previous time, number of laps completed, or weights lifted, for example creates a sense of achievement which can boost a persons self-esteem.  

4 Being Social

Participating in a team sport or attending a regular class like yoga or aerobics is a great way to meet people.  It has been shown that friendships are essential for happiness.  Sharing goals with others (ie get fit, scoring goals) gives people a feeling of purpose and can help people stay motivated.  

Exercise with a “Buddy”.  Not only does this increase socialisation it encourages accountability. There is nothing more stimulating than when you are out walking when people acknowledge you.  

It is thought that some of the positive effects of exercise seen in research studies may in fact be due to interaction with other people and feeling like part of a tribe.

5 Improves Sleep

Poor sleep can be detrimental to a person’s mood. Sleep deprivation is linked to irritability, mood swings, anxiety and memory loss. 

It is thought that the rise and subsequent fall of body temperature when we exercise helps us to get to sleep.  Exercise doesn’t just help us get to sleep it improves the quality of our sleep.  We sleep deeper so therefore feel more rejuvenated.  We are also less likely to wake up during the night. 

The best time to exercise for sleep improvement is about 3-4 hours before going to bed.  

Tips for choosing the best exercise

What you enjoy

It is much more difficult to experience a mood lift if you are not in sync with the exercise you have chosen. Similarly, people are more likely to continue with the exercise if they find it pleasurable. 

People might find it helpful to reflect on what activities they enjoyed doing as a child.

Outdoor options

There is some evidence to suggest that exercising outdoors lifts one’s mood more that exercising indoors.  It may be beneficial, therefore, to incorporate some exercise options outdoors rather than for example only attending gym sessions or running on a treadmill in the living room.  

If this is your only option, then it is your best choice.

Easy to get started

Activities that do not require too much mental energy are ideal.  Not having to concentrate too much allows people to tune out. 

Rhythmic and repetitive activities (eg swimming laps) are often good choices.  Play your favourite music while you are exercising.

Be Safe

If you are out side exercising make sure you choose your times or run or walk with a buddy. Ensure if you are cycling you are well seen with reflective clothing and reflectors  on your bicycle.

If you are starting on an exercise program, or haven’t exercised for a while, be sure to get a clearance form your Medical Practitioner. Consulting with a Personal Trainer or other professional is also beneficial to ensure you get the most benefit from your exercise regime.

SELF SABOTAGE -THE PARKRUN

November 12, 2021

Self Sabotage- The Parkrun

I have just completed my second Parkrun at Kawana.  I haven’t completed a Parkrun for about 12 months due to illness.

The first one last week was good, great to be out there again, and I finished in 41 minutes.  This was good considering all the happenings of the last 12 months.

So my self-talk for the last week has focused around 41 minutes….  Does this sound familiar?

My Irrational Self

  • Can I beat that time?
  • I have to beat that time
  • What if I cant beat that time and I embarrass myself with a slower time, the results are out there for everyone to see!
  • Have I done enough training
  • What if I get sick and cant finish
  • I wont do the run, its too hard to think about
  • I just want to hide!
  • I wish I hadn’t started the runs again

My Rational Self

  • It doesn’t matter what time I do
  • I am going well its only 5 k
  • I can run walk
  • No pressure feels good
  • It’s a good course just go out there and have fun
  • What if I am slower who is going to notice, if they do why worry

Can anyone relate to this?  I didn’t sleep well the night before. I had all that stuff going on inside my head.  I ended up exhausted even before I began.

I decided that 41 minutes was just a number and I will aim for 42 minutes today.  This made me feel more relaxed and confident.  I convinced myself that its not about the time, just about getting out there and going for it!

It takes a lot of energy to have this chatter inside ones head; it affects sleep, concentration and is generally a distraction and pain in the neck.  Doesn’t matter how much rationalisation happens the irrational runs riot!

Start with the end in mind.  Think how good you will feel after you have achieved your goal.  Don’t worry about other people, you will find that most are too wrapped up in their own stuff to worry about what anyone else is doing.  The important thing is that you are doing it for yourself.   We are all different shapes, sizes and abilities.  Yours is just as good as everyone elses!

OUTCOME

I finished the Parkrun, I ended up a doing a quicker time. Maybe because this week at Kawana it wasn’t a beach run for the first kilometre, maybe I relaxed into it and enjoyed the run.  It really doesn’t matter depends on what happens on the day and I was out there doing it!  My age group is 70-74.

Whatever you are doing don’t allow the negative self talk to take over find your rational head space and just go for it!

Chocolate Birthday Cake to Die For…Very Easy to Cook and Decorate

November 19, 2020

Chocolate Birthday Cake to Die For

You will need a Chocolate Cake

Make your own favourite recipe or use my mums!

4 ozs (113 grams) butter                                              

4 ozs (113 grams) sugar

3 eggs

vanilla

4-5 desert spoons cocoa

21/2 – 3 cups SR Flour

Milk  1-2 cups

Preheat oven to 150 degrees (F) 66 degrees (C).

Cream butter and sugar; add eggs continue to mix well.  Add vanilla then flour and cocoa mixing enough milk to make a good consistency, light and fluffy.

Grease and flour round or square cake tin, pour in cake mixture and bake in oven for approximately 45 minutes until cooked (center springs back when cooked).

Cool on cake rack.

Slice cake in half through center to layer.

For Topping you will need

 Thickened Cream

Strawberry Jam

Raspberries

Strawberries

Grated Chocolate

Separate top and bottom, spread bottom layer with strawberry jam

Mix cream until whipped

Spread bottom cake layer with half of the whipped cream      

Top this layer with half the strawberries (cut in quarters) and half raspberries

Place top cake layer on top and spread with the remaining whipped cream

Place remaining raspberries and strawberries (cut in half) on cream

Sprinkle with grated chocolate

You could add tinned fruit (well drained and dried) if you were not able to buy fresh fruit.

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I am a lifestyle blogger whose interests follow my career and hobbies.  My intention for my blog is to be an informative interactive platform so my readers will have a positive experience from visiting.  I encourage you to contact me with comments or further information you may require.

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