Find the energy with exercise-
and boost your mental health!

Are you like many others at this time of year eager to find your way back to training after the holidays? Rest and time off in all its glory, but it's also easy to lose energy and feel tired and sluggish when you've gotten out of your good habits and routines. The fact is also that exercise has good effects on our mental health, more and more prescribe exercise on prescription, as it is proven that the right kind of exercise for you can help you out of depression and low mood.

5 reasons why exercise  is good for you
1. You will be happier!
When you exercise, your body releases endorphins that make you feel euphoric and happy. This is why physical exercise is highly recommended to people suffering from depression. Now you may not feel depressed at all, but if you are hungover and tired, you can easily cure it with a little more endorphin boost.

2. You become less stressed
For the same reason that you become happier, it is precisely the endorphins that help lower the stress hormone cortisol, which balances your mind and reduces anxiety and worry.

3. You get better self-esteem
If you have trouble accepting yourself, practice! It will help you see yourself in a better light, and you will feel better. You will also project the best version of yourself to others.

4. You get better memory
Exercise and movement increase the production of cells in the hippocampus, which is responsible for memory and learning. You remember things more efficiently and have a much easier time learning different things.

5. You will be much more productive
You might think that exercise would make you more tired, and that you would then perform worse at work or in other activities, but it is actually quite the opposite! Exercise helps you have more energy and makes you more focused and active throughout the day.

5 Tips for getting started with training

1. Do what you think is fun!
It's much easier to create good habits with something you think is fun. Dragging yourself away to something you don't really want doesn't work in the long run. So what do you think is fun? Dancing, cycling, running or gym? Maybe join a raven team and play football, floorball or are long forest walks your thing?

2. Bring a friend
Having someone to train with makes the whole thing so much more fun and also harder to pull out of when you have an appointment with someone. With a training buddy you motivate each other and get quality time with each other!

3. Set goals
Even if you don't want to do an Iron Man within a year but "just" want to move more to feel better, it's always beneficial to set goals, big or small. Write down exactly how you want it to feel for you when you are harmonious and balanced.

4. Challenge yourself
You are much stronger than you think - both mentally and physically! So dare to challenge yourself, and grow as a person. Maybe you can run a little during your walks, or dare to go for that workout that looks impossible. The benefits are many for both body and soul!

5. Why?

Last but certainly not least, you need to find out why you want to start/train more. Is it because everyone else is doing it and you feel you have to? Or because you really want to get fitter, lower stress hormones in your body or get better fitness and help your heart feel good for a long time? Write down your why and use it when you set your goals, it doesn't have to be complicated at all, keep it simple!