Exercising endorphins

We have all been told that some form of physical exercise is good for our health, especially as we get older. “It will help decrease your cholesterol”, “Why don’t you try yoga to help the stiffness?”, “You should really take up Pilates”, “Have you thought about joining a gym?”.. etc. Easier said than done!

However, some may find it harder to incorporate exercise into their daily lives because of not having enough time in our busy schedules, or the fact that sticking pins in your eyes sounds more appealing. Perhaps this is because many of us have been looking at physical exercise in the wrong way – forcing it into our daily lives instead of fitting it in. To start with, more often than not, it can be cheaper than therapy and is used as a form of therapy for most, as it has some direct stress-busting benefits. This is due to the increase in production of your brain’s “feel-good” neurotransmitters – endorphins. These natural mood lifters can help keep stress and depression at bay. Endorphins tend to also leave us feeling more relaxed and optimistic after a hard workout, also known as “the runners high” after a run (if you’re a runner, you know!).

The truth is, physical exercise is not just something we should pick up as we get older, it should start as a habit and progress as a hobby. This is because it benefits us at all stages in our life. At an early age, regular physical activity helps improve cardiorespiratory fitness, build strong bones and muscles, control weight, reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression, as well as and reduce the risk of developing health conditions (ie: Type 2 diabetes). I realise this sounds like a broken record and somewhat annoying, but we seem to have forgotten the benefits of physical exercise in this modern century of influencers and bloggers. It should not just be about the outcome of your physical appearance (although having abs would be nice), but we are deceived through social media platforms and false advertising. Exercise is not something that should be influenced, but a key influencer to our daily lives. This is because, amongst other benefits, physical activity helps us keep our mental skills in check (e.g. sharp thinking, learning, and using good judgment) – basically you are jogging your memory when you’re physically jogging! Exercise also improves the quality of sleep by helping you fall asleep faster and deepening your sleep – no drugs needed! What more could you ask for? The more you use physical activity and the earlier you start, the easier it will get and the more it will help us as we inevitably grow old and frail (just being realistic).

Physical exercise, or “movement”, was intrinsic to human life for most of our history. However the idea of consciously exercising for better health might date back to 2500 B.C. China. The teachings of Confucius mentioned the need to engage in physical activity to avoid “stoppages” or “organ malfunction”. Confucius’s philosophical teachings, known as “Confucianism”, emphasised personal and governmental morality, correctness of social relationships, justice, kindness, and sincerity. He was the first educator and philosopher who put forward “sports thoughts” (ie: the benefits of physical activity). For more than 40 years of teaching practice, he not only proposed the concept of preserve one’s health, his teachings also contained rich and colourful sports content and teaching methods; leaving a profound impact on the development of both modern sports and ancient sports altogether. However, Confucius is best known as the first teacher in China who wanted to make education broadly available and was therefore instrumental in establishing the art of teaching as a vocation. Throughout history, levels of physical fitness rose and fell, intertwining with ancient civilisations, many using exercise to having able and battle-ready armies, so young boys and men would join rigorous training programmes (e.g.horse riding, hunting, marching, sword fighting etc). Ultimately, Confucianism’s core idea is that of “humaneness” and/or “benevolence”, with physical exercise being one of many paths towards this goal.

If we view physical exercise through “Confucianism”, which emphasises on things such as: personal morality, kindness and sincerity, we can see it as a tool to better our physical and “spiritual” selves. Perhaps this is because it is one of the few things in life which benefits us both mentally and physically, short term and long term. It almost sounds too good to be true.. like a super power which many of us haven’t used to its full potential. Whether it’s walking or cycling, running or walking your dog, cat or micro-pig – some exercise is better than none!