Information on how to run faster, lift stronger and think deeper

How Fitness and Overall Wellness Helps to Improve Your Relationships [Article]

Posted by Matt Gonzales

Sep 6, 2018 9:30:00 AM

How Fitness and Overall Wellness Helps to Improve Your Relationships

How Fitness and Overall Wellness Helps to Improve Your Relationships 

Staying in shape isn’t easy. It often requires adhering to a strict daily regimen that might include eating healthy, exercising regularly and getting at least seven hours of sleep each night. The process of achieving and maintaining wellness can be exhausting, but the results are often satisfying.

 Click for Instagram

Regular exercise can lead to good overall wellness, which has myriad benefits. Good health can help you more effectively think, sleep and interact with others. While many studies show that exercise can improve your physical and psychological health, getting and staying in shape can also strengthen your relationships.

 

A healthy social life is an important aspect of your well-being. However, you might struggle to establish strong relationships if you live a sedentary lifestyle, as a lack of physical activity can negatively affect your physical and psychological health. Physical fitness and good overall wellness has helped countless people create new friendships and boost existing ones.

 

How Fitness Affects Your Relationships

 

A link between regular exercise and good psychological health exists. Good mental health can improve many aspects of your life, including your relationships. Here are several ways in which fitness can boost your relationships.

 

Reduces Stress

 

Exercise can relieve stress and anxiety. When you engage in physical fitness, your brain produces endorphins that generate feelings of euphoria and reduce stress. If you experience a post-workout high, you’ll likely feel less stressed out than you did before exercising.

 

A positive, stress-free mood can do wonders for your relationships. After exercising, you’re less likely to think about stress at school or work, which can lead to more productive conversations with friends and family.

 

Improves Self-Confidence

 

Your appearance can affect your self-confidence. Routinely engaging in fitness can better help you become physically stronger and achieve a healthy weight. When you’re physically fit, you’re more likely to possess higher levels of self-confidence. This can result in lower levels of stress, anxiety and depression.

 

Self-confidence can improve relationships. It can inspire courage in you to become more social, meet new people and establish long-lasting friendships. Self-confidence can also make you more social, strengthening existing relationships.

 

Improves Memory

 

Research has found that exercise can improve your memory. A study by the University of British Columbia showed that regular exercise boosts the area of the brain that controls memory and learning, called the hippocampus.

 

Improved memory can help support your relationships. For example, regular exercise can help keep your mind clear and allow you to better remember important dates, like anniversaries and birthdays.

 

Benefits Sleep

 

Physical fitness can help you sleep better at night. According to the Sleep Foundation, research has found that moderate levels of exercise can reduce symptoms of chronic insomnia. However, rigorous physical activity, like running several miles in a single session, can impede sleep quality.

 

Insomnia and other sleep disorders can contribute to anxiety and depression. If you don’t get much sleep, you can experience drastic mood swings that can affect your relationships. Getting sufficient amounts of sleep improve your concentration, memory and mood.

 

Eating Healthy Is Important, Too

 

Good overall wellness requires more than just regular exercise. Eating healthy is also important. If you routinely engage in physical activities, like CrossFit or running, but consume foods that are high in sugars or fats, your health can still decline. As a result, your relationships could suffer.

 

Healthy foods to consider adding to your diet:

 

  • Eggs.
  • Tofu.
  • Low-fat yogurt.
  • Oranges.
  • Broccoli.
  • Salmon.
  • Brussels sprouts.
  • Beans.

 

According to Healthline, eating healthy can affect your happiness. For example, foods rich in protein and vitamins can boost your mood and make you feel happier. When you possess a positive mood, your relationships can thrive. You’re less likely to be argumentative and you’re more likely to engage in positive conversations with your loved one.

 

You should also encourage your significant other to exercise with you. Running, playing sports or practicing yoga together can improve the bond you share with your loved one. It allows for you both to support each other during physically and mentally strenuous activities.

 

Regularly eating well and engaging in fitness activities is a good way to improve your overall health and your relationships. People who achieve or maintain good overall health are also less likely to engage in risky behaviors, like using drugs or alcohol.

 

Treating a Drug or Alcohol Disorder

 

Using drugs or alcohol can negatively affect all facets of your life. Substance use can bring about addiction, causing individuals to compulsively seek drugs or alcohol despite the health, legal and social consequences. Addiction can cause irreparable damage to relationships.

 

Studies have indicated that exercise can help people combat drug or alcohol misuse, as physical activity can reduce drug cravings that often lead to substance use. However, no amount of exercise can cure a substance use disorder. Addiction often requires treatment to help people learn ways to better manage their disorder.

 

If you’re dealing with a substance use disorder, consider contacting The Recovery Village. At The Recovery Village, trained addiction experts can tailor a treatment plan to meet your specific needs. To learn more about how treatment can help you heal, contact The Recovery Village.

 

Further reading

 

Topics: Think Deeper, Mental Health