(ThyBlackMan.com) The majority of people who exercise do so for physical purposes – to improve their physique, elevate conditioning levels and generally add years to their life. Ripped muscles, reduced inches and being able to run a marathon have always been hallmarks of the physical benefits of exercise. There is more to be had from a workout than just the physical, though.
You can boost your mental power with physical activity!
Let’s get mental! I use the phrase ‘physical activity’ to expand its use from a strictly gym environment. Let’s commit to some form of activity in which your heart rate is elevated for a minimum of 
twenty-minutes, whether it’s swimming, jogging, power walking or cycling.
I make one caveat, though, because I hear it often: what you do at work does not qualify as physical activity, even though it may be a physical activity. Why? Because what you do at work is ‘everyday activity’, and the body adapts to everyday activity within a very short period of time. You must always challenge your body with sustained physical activity. In other words, do something different.
The mental benefits are enormous – from producing more brain cells to reducing stress hormones in your body. Above all else, you feel good, you look good and you perform your daily activities with greater zeal and fulfillment.
Without question, the benefits outweigh the cons. Here are three mental benefits one can get from physical activity.
You Think More Clearly
Physical activity clears your head. In fact, you increase your creativity in a profound way with a regular exercise schedule. Let’s face it. A lot of what we do in life – from relationships to parenting to work to programming a smart TV – requires us to think clearly. We are at our absolute best when our thoughts are moving cleanly. Physical activity contributes to that phenomenon in a powerful way.
In fact, as it relates to relationships, experts suggest that couples who workout together are more likely to work through conflict than couples who do not. Physical activity gives you a new slate; the heightened feelings of euphoria contribute to problem-solving and creativity.
You Become Less Irritable
Physical activity clears your emotions. Show me a very frustrated individual and a person who’s relatively free of anxiety and I will show you the potential power of physical activity. The ladder person is ten times more likely to have a workout-induced lifestyle while the former is lost in the sea of sedentary living and thinking.
As humans, we live in a constant state of ‘flight or fight’, forever attempting to balance our lives between the expected and the unknown. Physical activity – along with a belief in a Higher Power – is the sixth degree of difference! The more physically active you become, the less susceptible to frustration, anxiety and even mild depression you are.
You Are More Efficient
Physical activity gives you more energy. When you increase your heart rate, you increase your productivity. There’s a reason your co-worker gets more done than you. Chances are your co-worker either takes a brisk walk at lunch or hits the gym three to five times during the week.
Studies have long demonstrated that employees who make time for exercise and who do it regularly are more productive and have more energy than those who are more sedentary. Also, those same employees perform demonstrably better on yearly reviews than their less-active comrades. This is likely due to the increase in self-confidence that accompanies a regular exercise routine.
You can boost your mental power with physical activity!
Staff Writer; W. Eric Croomes
This talented brother is a holistic lifestyle exercise expert and founder and executive coach of Infinite Strategies LLC, a multi-level coaching firm that develops and executes strategies for fitness training, youth achievement and lifestyle management. Eric is an author, fitness professional, holistic life coach and motivational speaker.
In October 2015, Eric released Life’s A Gym: Seven Fitness Principles to Get the Best of Both, which shows readers how to use exercise to attract a feeling of wellness, success and freedom (Infinite Strategies Coaching LLC, 2015) – http://www.infinitestrategiescoaching.com.
