Exercise is a great way to help yourself in life, especially when talking about improving your mental and physical wellbeing.
Did you know that exercise will also help improve your overall resilience aside from health issues? Regularly participating in exercises that challenge you both physically and mentally will train your body and mind to become more resilient.
That’s important because, as you know, life can be tricky. No matter how strong and resilient you are, there will always be times when you face difficulties or setbacks. But if you have the tools to deal with these challenges, you can bounce back more easily and quickly.
If you’re looking to improve your resilience, here are six exercises that can help:
Walking
Walking is a straightforward way to build your fitness and mental strength. It is one of the best activities you can do to improve your health, physical strength, and agility. In addition, it has been proven to help in many other ways, such as improving mood, alleviating stress, lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, and reducing the risk of heart disease. If you want to push yourself, increase the distance or the number of times you walk per week.
Running
Running is a great way to build resilience because it requires you to push yourself physically and mentally. Running offers an effective way to release stress and clear your head. It can also help you stay in shape and maintain a healthy weight. It’s been said that running could even prevent heart disease or dementia.
Weightlifting
Weightlifting is another excellent exercise for building resilience. Like running, it requires you to push yourself both physically and mentally. And it also helps to increase your strength and stamina. Weightlifting activates different muscles that burn more calories than muscles used in cardio exercise (walking and running). In life you may need to be lifting items. A gallon of milk weighs 8.6 pounds. Or you may need to lift your suitcase into the upper bin on an airplane. Regular weightlifting makes that possible. We just had Hurricane Ian come through SWFL. There were many things we needed to do to prepare for the storm, like moving everything off the lanai. I have a couple of gardens that are moveable but takes strength. How about moving the table and chairs, potted plants and putting up shutters. All takes strength. Weightlifting helps. What heavy items might you need to move in an emergency?
Yoga
Yoga is a great way to improve your physical and mental flexibility. The slow, mindful, and calm movements associated with yoga calm your mind and body, which can be helpful when you’re dealing with stress or demanding situations.
Swimming
I love swimming! Swimming is a terrific exercise for building resilience because it’s both challenging and relaxing and great way to increase your strength and stamina. Each stroke you make in the water pushes you to work your whole body. If you swim freestyle (crawl) you work alternate sides of the body. In an resilient situation, you will most likely not be working symmetrically. Alternate body activity gets you ready for anything. In addition, swimming is an excellent exercise for your joints because it keeps them moving without the pressure of gravity (like walking).
Tai Chi
Tai chi is a Chinese martial art that promotes distinct, slow, flowing movements. It’s an excellent way to improve your balance and coordination, essential for dealing with challenges. Tai chi also teaches you how to control your breath. It’s crucial because a slower breath rate often helps calm you down when facing difficulties. When you understand how to manage and control the rate and depth of your breath, you can better deal with stressful situations.
Sailing. I just had to put the sailboat in. Love sailing. All outdoor sports are exercises as well.
So, there you are – six great exercises that can help you build resilience. But remember, it’s not just about the exercise itself. It’s also about how you approach it. So, don’t be afraid to push yourself, both physically and mentally. And don’t forget to focus on your breath. If you do these exercises, you’ll be well on your way to improving your resilience.
If you want more help, check out my book on Resiliency. Or, more personal, book a discovery call with me.
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