Exercise: is it a question of mind over body or body over mind?

Hippocrates’ insight in 460BC was right on; “if we could give every individual the right amount of (nourishment and) exercise, not too little and not too much, we would have found the safest way to health”. Yet in 2014, we are still finding it difficult to engage in physical training despite knowing it’s numerous benefits to our physical and mental health.

If our mind knows exercise is good for us, why doesn’t it encourage our body to be more active? And vice versa? Or do both body and mind need to be encouraged equally, at the same time? What happens to make some of us engage in exercise and not others? Is it a feeling, a drive, an emotion, an action, a chemical reaction, an electrical impulse?

These questions are somewhat exhausting so let’s turn to the benefits of exercise for both the body and the mind instead:

*Physical exercise aids the brain (new nerve cells are formed, increases alertness and speeds up the learning of new information).

*Exercise makes you feel better in yourself (improves mood, self-confidence, self-image, reduces depression, anxiety and other mental health concerns).

*Exercise decreases the risk of physical diseases (stroke, heart disease, type two diabetes, obesity, osteoporosis, dementia, colon cancer and high blood pressure).

Has this information driven you to leap up and go for a jog, do some resistance training or some stretching? It is statistically unlikely! However, hopefully, it has inspired you to think about becoming a little bit more active.  

At Chelsea Personal Training, our personal trainers understand that engaging in exercise is complex. Our aim is to make it simple and enjoyable for you. We have a good track record. Get in touch and find out how we do it!