Physically active lifestyle and mental well-being

Hey everyone, I hope you all are doing well and are safe at your homes. In this article, I am going to talk about my personal experience of having a physically active lifestyle and how it changed my life forever. I come from an Asian society, where beauty is defined by having a lean body and a perfect face texture, but I disagree. In today's world, where mental health has become such an important topic to talk about, there are certain limitations that are keeping us back from truly being ourselves. We live in a world where eating eating disorders, which are potentially life taking, are considered as a pride by some individuals as they are conditioned to believe that beauty or having a certain body type correlates to their self-worth, and that sounds dangerous. I have been raised in the same way, and you won't believe if I tell you that I have been told that if I do not have a certain body type, or if I do not dress up in a particular way people around me will end up hating me and I believed it. I thought that maybe if I start looking more girly and a bit more appropriate like other girls of my age, people might start appreciating me and that is where my anxiety and body image issues started. I misunderstood the concept of beauty and confused it with having a bone jutted structure. Where did the aspect of a good health go? Well you know what, it disappeared. For 2 years, I was living in a misconception that gave me nothing but an increased pulse rate and a diminished self-esteem. One thing that has always helped me get a hype and has given me a separate identity is dancing and yoga as well. It has helped me grow as a person and has made into an individual. The picture you see above, yes, that is me, being the happiest version of myself and doing what I love. Well if you ever feel alone, or you wish to talk to somebody or if you feel you are not being heard, you can always reach out to me, I am also a budding clinical psychologist. Now let us begin, what I am actually going to talk about today, that is physically active lifestyle and how it is important for all of us.

"Oh you dance? You must have a super slim body," ''You learn Yoga? Oh my god what a perfect body?'' " Mahn you are so plump, and yet you are so flexible." If you have ever heard one of these statements, welcome to my team. Let us not confuse having a good health with a certain type of physical structure. I have been a victim of these statements and today I feel horrible when I look back and realize what I have been missing on. Physical activity has a huge potential to enhance our well-being, and there is no doubt about that. Even a 10 minute of daily physical exercise can increase our mental alertness, energy and positive mood. Participation in regular physical activity can increase our self-esteem, and can reduce our stress and anxiety levels. Now let us look at this. What is exactly a physically active lifestyle? Well, it is not at all doing vigorous workouts and pulling out abs, it can also be a 20 minute walk with your best friend around beautiful green tress and the smell of fresh daisies, it can also be putting on Michael Jackson's thriller and going on the beat (even if you cannot dance like him), it is also taking staircase to your apartment instead of a list, but if you are lazy just like me you can do a ratio of 50-50. It is just doing some sort of physical activity throughout the day and that can be anything, dancing, yoga, cycling, jogging or even taking your puppy out for a walk. Having a physically active lifestyle has a number of advantages. Without regular activity our body slowly looses its stamina, strength and its ability to function in an efficient manner. Exercising tends to enhance our physical strength, which in turn increases our ability to engage in other physical activities. It can help us to keep our blood pressure low and keep our weight under control.

As with physiological benefits, there are psychological benefits as well. Having a physically active lifestyle, can promote our mental well-being as well. It tends to provide us a break from our day to day hassles. Studies have proven that, exercise and meditation, and taking out time to relax is associated with reduced levels of anxiety. Individuals who tend to exercise regularly have a great sense of well-being, they feel more energetic, they have sharper memories and they tend to feel more relaxed and positive about themselves, that is there is an increased self-worth. A good amount of physical activity is known to be associated with having a positive impact on reducing the symptoms of common mental health problems such as anxiety, depression (the most common), and Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. We see so many cases of Post-Traumatic stress disorder, and we have a good news here, psychologists have concluded that if people who have gone through a trauma if they tend to engage in any sort of physical activity that they enjoy, now it can be dancing or cycling, it will help them overcome their trauma in the most effective ways.

The endorphins that make us feel better can also help us to concentrate and feel mentally sharp, as exercise stimulates the growth of new brain cells. It is also linked with a physically active lifestyle, that is when a physical activity becomes regular, it fosters our overall sense of self-worth and you feel more confident about yourself and the productivity is enhanced. Even a little amount of exercise can help us in regulating our sleep patters and help us feel more relaxed, so now take out the idea of having a 3 am conversation partner, as you won't be needing them anymore.

That is it for today and I hope you like my work. I try to make it as interesting as possible so that my services, even though I am not a professional yet can reach out to many people as possible. One thing I want to tell you all, is that please do not confuse the aspect of having a good health with a certain body type, as we all are healthy in our own ways. We do not owe anything to anyone in this world, instead focus on becoming the best versions of yourself and spread happiness and positivity. Not every fat person is lazy and not every lean person is fit, just remember that. I hope you have a great day and keep smiling. Au Revoir! <3