In short, yes, regular exercise can and will increase your self-confidence and self-esteem.
When you start to exercise, you’ll gradually start seeing both positive physical and mental changes to your body and your mind.
Even in the short term, every-time you exercise it can give you a sense of accomplishment and release dopamine into your brain.
These changes are practically guaranteed (if you stick with it) and lead to increased self-confidence, better moods, and an overall more positive outlook on life.
But starting an exercise routine can be one big hurtle to get over.
And one you do start, sticking with it is even harder.
But, on overage, those who do exercise get much more enjoyment out of their life.
So ask yourself, do you want more enjoyment out of life? Would you lie to feel more confident and less anxious?
If so, here’s some tips on feeling good for free and increasing your enjoyment for life.
Overcoming Your Mind’s Resistance
Most people want to exercise and they recognize the benefits, but still they don’t.
Why?
Not because of a physical restraint, but because of an invisible mental resistance.
Often, a person’s biggest aversion to physical activity is their psychological resistance and procrastination.
In other words, it’s not usually that we don’t want to exercise, we don’t want to be healthier, we don’t want more self-esteem, or that we don’t want to lose weight.
It’s that we simply create excuses in our own minds that prevent actually exercising.
The most common excuse people make is that they simply don’t have time to hit the gym or spend working out.
But for the most part, this usually isn’t true whatsoever.
The average social media user wastes roughly 145 minutes per day scrolling Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and other social media platforms mindlessly.
That’s almost two and a half hours per day (2.5 HOURS !!! )
This means that if we spent only half as much time doing exercise as on social media, we could easily find at least an hour to exercise and get active every day.
It is true that some of us don’t use social media often and genuinely do have hectic lives with work, children, friends, and family.
However, being physically active is an essential part of being alive, being healthy and having more self-esteem!
If you want to increase your self-esteem, you must learn to break down your psychological resistance, stop making excuses, and get to work, spending at least 20 to 30 minutes moving each day!
You can do it… If you want to.
Sense Of Accomplishment
I’ve noticed that beer always tastes better after a hard day’s work.
Why?
Because I feel like I earned it !
When you set exercise goals and accomplish them, no matter how small or large, you’ll feel great.
Even if your goal is just to exercise for 1 day. When you do it, you feel a sense of accomplishment and a boost in confidence.
You improve your self-image, and have more self-esteem both inside and out.
A study by Harvard Business found that people who set goals are roughly 10x more likely to succeed in life!
And those who write their goals down are roughly 3x more likely to succeed than those with unwritten goals.
So to help you break down your resistance and improve your self-esteem, you must set both smaller, short-term goals and bigger, long-term goals.
Then write em down !
They say that Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither is an active, healthy lifestyle.
– Achieving Small Goals
One of the best ways to overcome procrastination is to break down large, overwhelming tasks into smaller, more manageable tasks.
Therefore, the same goes for being active!
Sure, you might want to get a perfectly sculpted six-pack. But it’s not going to happen overnight.
That’s why it’s best to create smaller goals. You can start by setting a goal to ‘write down your goals’.
This smaller goal is much more manageable, and it means that every time you achieve this small goal, you’ll get to end the day with a sense of accomplishment and more self-esteem!
– Achieving Larger Goals
It’s still essential to set larger goals. But you need to realize that your smaller goals are the stepping stones to accomplishing those larger, long-term goals.
Large goals only happen by achieving multiple small goals.
Again, getting fit and finding self-confidence doesn’t happen overnight.
And you’ll also have a great deal more self-esteem from the pride that comes with crossing goals off your list!
Exercise & the Physical-Chemical Response By Your Brain (Dopamine)
When you do physical activity, you trigger a chemical response in your brain.
One of the chemicals released is called DOPAMINE which can work wonders for improving your body image, self-esteem and overall mental health.
Ever hear of a runner’s high?
A runner’s high is caused by the release of endorphins, such as dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine, that are released in your brain while running.
These chemical compounds are associated with regulating and elevating mood.
Therefore, whether you’re doing aerobic exercises like Tai Chi or lifting weights, performing physical activity and training makes your body release these endorphins, which will positively impact happiness levels in your brain.
Endorphins make you feel good during your workout and afterwards, which is why so many people say that they get “addicted” to running or doing exercise.
It’s also why people who exercise usually have more self-esteem and better mental health than those who don’t.
Exercise is an excellent way to “bio-hack” your brain into rewarding your positive decisions.
Physical Changes To Your Body
We’ve all see before & after pictures…
And we’re all human beings..
So if someone else can do it, so can you.
As you continue to exercise and improve your mental and cardiovascular health, you will see many physical changes to your body.
For instance, you’ll start to notice that your muscles are firmer and more toned.
Or, if you’ve been exercising for some time, you should also see that your skin, especially around your stomach and sides, will be tighter too.
As these changes continue to become more apparent, there’s no denying the fact that this, in itself, will give you a massive boost of self-worth.
It doesn’t have to be Pelaton, or Boflex or whatever today’s trend is… Exercise is exercise as long as you stick with it.
You’ll feel better about yourself, not only because your body is starting to look better, but also because you’ll have a sense of achievement from seeing the positive results of your hard work.
In other words, say hello to physical fitness and goodbye to low self-esteem.
Does Exercise Provide Lasting Life Lessons?
It’s true that anything in life is possible.
I mean, Elon Musk may very well land humans on another planet.
But nothing in life comes easy. (unless your Justin Bieber or if you have Billionaire dad)
Although most of us want to be trim and have a sculpted six-pack, exercise is about so much more than body image and muscles.
Aside from self-esteem and health, physical fitness can also teach us a whole lot about ourselves, as well as the broader world in which we live.
We can have anything we’re willing to work hard enough to get.
For instance, regular aerobic exercise is a great way to learn discipline.
Self discipline is the KEY.
And discipline is something that can be used and applied to virtually anything you do in life, such as at work, in your relationships, and even over your mindset.
Simply overcoming your mental resistance will allow you to feel better about the way you think about yourself.
There’s a great deal of pride that comes with accomplishing fitness goals, no matter how big or small.
As you pursue exercise, fitness, and a healthier lifestyle, you’ll continue to learn new things about yourself, your skills and abilities, and the world in which you live.
Conclusion: Start Exercising And Increase Your Self-Esteem Today!
Whether your goal is to get off the couch and lose weight, or simply to trim, tone, and sculpt your body into that of a world-class sports athlete, there’s no doubt that exercising makes you feel good, and it can and will boost your self-worth.
Once you learn to overcome your mental resistance, begin setting goals (both small and large) and knocking them down one by one, you’ll gradually see changes to both your physical and mental states.
Then, with your new muscles and your improved mindset, there’s no telling what you’ll be able to achieve!
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