April 23, 2022.
Whilst I enjoy the aesthetic reasons associated with being active such as lean muscle, definition etc., my nonaesthetic reasons for working out have kept me on this journey for the long run. Whenever I feel like quitting or taking an unearned rest day, I remember why I am doing this. Perhaps you might care about the same things or not. Either way, I hope this helps you to brainstorm on what your big reasons for staying active might be.
1. My Brain Type
Dr. Amen names five brain types in his book, Your Brain Is Always Listening, which are balanced, spontaneous, persistent, sensitive and cautious. I will leave a brief summary of each at the bottom so you can check which you are. I am a combination of persistent and cautious. My persistent brain is more dominant and people with this type tend to “be persistent, relentless or strong-willed, like things a certain way, get “stuck” on thoughts, and hold on to hurts. This brain type also has increased activity in the front part of the brain, in the anterior cingulate gyrus (ACG) which is the brain’s gear shifter and helps to move from thought to thought and action to action.” This overactivity is caused by low serotonin levels and so working out is a good way to regulate my serotonin.
2. Fosters believe in myself
Every time I lift heavier or do more reps than I had planned, it’s a win. I have conquered something I thought I could not do and so I realize I can be more and do more. This spills over into other areas of my life. Suddenly I am not so intimidated to apply for things or reach out to someone or try a new hobby. Every win in the gym shows me that I can do anything if I set my mind to it. Doing one more rep when I am in pain is empowering. A lot of the things that scare us or that we shy away from, it’s because we are avoiding pain. We are avoiding the pain of failure, embarrassment or even rejection. While these types of pains are different from physical pain, it sure helps to know that you can push past it.
3. Cardiovascular health affects brain health
We can all agree that heart health affects the health of all your body’s organs. This is especially true for the brain which can experience chemical, electrical and structural changes due to problems in the heart and circulatory system. Not everyone likes cardio including myself, but the good news is you do not have to look a certain way or be a particular size. What matters is having a healthy blood flow to the brain. Regular exercise can fight plaque buildup in arteries by lowering LDL cholesterol in the blood.
Question of the day:
- What is one important area in my life that I could improve by exercising?
Comment your thoughts and share with a friend who might benefit from reading this!
Summary of brain types as defined by Dr Amen:
Balanced: people with this type tend to be “focused, flexible, positive and relaxed.”
Spontaneous: people with this type tend to be “spontaneous, risk-taking, creative, restless, easily distracted, and focused only when interested.”
Persistent: people with this type tend to be “persistent, relentless or strong-willed, like things a certain way, get “stuck” on thoughts, and hold on to hurts.”
Sensitive: people with this type tend to be “sensitive, feel deeply, be empathic, struggle with moods, be more pessimistic, and struggle with negative thoughts.”
Cautious: people with this type tend to be “prepared, cautious, motivated, reserved, busy-minded and restless.”