Tag Archive for: Exercise Benefits

The Relationship Between Exercise and Mental Health

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Everyone knows how important exercise is for our physical health, however, many underestimate, or simply neglect, the importance of exercise for maintaining a healthy mental state.

For that reason, Studio Pulse Wynnum is here to help you understand the relationship between exercise and mental health.

Those who include exercise in their everyday life, like reformer pilates Wynnum for example, are at a lower risk of suffering from mental illness and report having better emotional wellbeing and mental health.

Surprising but true, research shows that exercise has almost the same effect as psychological treatments, including cognitive behavioral therapy, and antidepressants for those who have mild depression.

But, how does exercise affect us mentally?

 

The relationship between exercise and mental health can be quite easily explained. Exercise stimulates the production of chemicals in the brain responsible for improving mood. Plus, it pumps blood to the brain which improves your cognitive skills.

Additionally, exercise increases the part of the brain responsible for memory called the hippocampus and improves connections between the brain and nerve cells which helps to boost memory and protects your brain from diseases.

Simply put, exercise makes us feel better, and makes our body happy. Not only will exercise improve your mood, alertness, and concentration, it can also help to increase your motivation levels.

The following is a list of how exercise can positively impact you and your lifestyle:

  • Improves Sleep: a good night’s sleep regulates mood.
  • Exercise boosts self-esteem, coping abilities, and sense of control.
  • When exercising you forget about the negative things in your life and can allow you to gain new perspectives.
  • Exercise provides new opportunities to socialise and meet people.
  • Exercise changes the levels of serotonin, endorphins, and stress hormones in your brain.
  • Your energy levels increase while exercising.
  • Exercise is a great form of stress and anger release.
  • Exercise makes you feel relaxed by decreasing muscle tension.

How Much Exercise do we Need?

 

Luckily, to give your mental health a boost, you don’t really have to spend hours in the gym or jump straight into strenuous exercise. According to the Australian Government, around 3 hours of moderate exercise or 2 hours of strenuous exercise per week is what we should aim for. Even if that includes 1 moderate bike ride, 1 reformer pilates class and 1 brisk walk per week… that is more than enough! Especially as a starting point.

Pulse offers a fresh and unique opportunity for those embarking on a quest for greater physical, mental, or spiritual fulfillment.

So, all you need to do to ensure you keep both physically and mentally healthy is to contact Studio Pulse Wynnum and get in touch with the team to find out what class would best suit your needs.

How to Love Your Body (regardless of your size)

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The truth is, body confidence has nothing to do with your size, the numbers on the scale, body fat percentage, BMI, or waist circumference. It is how you feel in your own skin and ultimately loving your body regardless of its size. Sounds easy right? Well, not exactly. Loving your body is a difficult task for many of us and can take years and years of knowledge and learning experiences to truly achieve.

At Studio Pulse Wynnum – Wynnum’s newest Reformer Pilates Studio – we offer a friendly community with top quality instructors and classes which cater to all levels of fitness.

1. Be Grateful for what your Body does for You

First and foremost, it’s important to recognise that your body does some pretty amazing things on a daily basis: getting out of bed in the morning, breathing air into your lungs, tasting amazing flavours, talking, walking, eating. All of that and much more thanks to the 60 trillion cells that make up a complete whole – your body. Your body, regardless of its size, gives you the chance to experience life.

2. It’s about how you Feel, not how you Look

You are going to feel better if you are following a healthy lifestyle, but it’s about how you feel within yourself rather than how you look in the mirror. Namely, there’s no universal body size that we can all strive to reach. We are all made differently. So, while it might be easy for certain people to stay really thin, it may be a lot harder for you to reach the same size because you have different genes. When we follow a relatively healthy diet, exercise regularly, get lots of sleep and drink plenty of water, naturally we are going to feel better (and probably look better too). But it is crucial that you concentrate on how you feel, rather than how you look. So, ask yourself the below questions:

  • Do I have lots of energy during the day?
  • Do I sleep well?
  • Am I lethargic?
  • Am I passing stools regularly?
  • Is my urine clear?
  • Am I eating 5 veg and 2 fruit each day?
  • Do I have unhealthy cravings?
  • Is my skin clear?
  • Do I get sick a lot? Do I suffer from headaches or any other ongoing health issues?

3. Exercise for Fun rather than to Simply Lose Weight

Last but not least, when it comes to exercise, it’s vital to think of it from a different perspective. Exercising shouldn’t be a chore, nor should you dread it. And, if the exercise you are doing makes you feel this way, find something that you prefer! There’s a lot of different types of exercise, so shop around until you find something that you enjoy. Additionally, rather than focusing on the weight benefits of exercise, focus on some of the other benefits: decreased risk of heart issues, decreased risk of cancer, decreased risk of diabetes, increased energy levels, reduced stress-levels, healthier organs, decreased circulation of toxins in the body and of course the list goes on! Exercise isn’t just a weight loss and body-shaping tool, it is actually a great way to love and accept your body, regardless of its size.

The bottom line is that we are all built completely differently, and what works for someone else, might not work for you. Remember to keep things in perspective, avoid comparison, practice positive self-talk and embrace you in all that you are because (corny we know), there is indeed, only one you. Of course, you can always strive for better and you should, it’s a healthy mantra to live by, which we support wholeheartedly. However, don’t put too much pressure on yourself and above all else, enjoy the journey. At the end of the day it’s not all about the destination, it’s about the hurdles, the set-backs and how you got back up after being pushed down.

To join our reformer pilates class, don’t hesitate and contact us today!

6 Benefits of Regular Physical Activity

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Do you want to feel better, gain more energy, and add several years to your life? You need to exercise on a regular basis. There are numerous health benefits for regular physical activities and exercises which you cannot overlook. People of any age can gain benefits from regular exercise. Exercise involves the movement of the body that will make your muscles work and make your body burn extra calories. You can opt for various kinds of exercises to lead a healthy lifestyle and stay in shape. Swimming, brisk walking, jogging, running, and dancing are some of the most popular exercises. You can get desired results by doing these exercises every day.

Given below are some of the Health Benefits of Exercise:

Exercise Keeps Weight under Control
When you do regular exercise, you can shed excess weight and burn calories. Human body spends energy in three different ways: Food digestion, exercise, and maintaining vital body functions like breathing and heartbeat. Regular exercise can enhance the metabolic rate which will help in burning more calories and shed excess weight.


Exercise Builds Strong Muscles
Regular workouts will go a long way in building strong bones and muscles. When you indulge in physical activities such as weight lifting, it will stimulate muscle building. Don’t forget about sufficient protein intake while doing weight lifting.


Exercise Fights Disease
Regular physical activities can help you stay healthy and keep many diseases at bay. You can tackle many heart-related ailments, high blood pressure, cholesterol, etc. when you exercise consistently. 


Exercise Improves Your Mood
Want to release your stress and improve your mood? Just take a brisk walk or spend at least 30 minutes in the gym per day or even just 5 days a week and see the results. When you do physical activities, it can stimulate several brain chemicals that will make you feel happy. 


Exercise Improves Energy Levels
Tired of doing the household chores or going to the office? Regular exercise will boost your overall energy levels and improve your endurance which will promote healthy living. Exercise supplies nutrients and oxygen and allows your cardiovascular system to work more effectively.


Exercise Helps You Sleep Better
Are you struggling to get sound sleep? When you do 30-45 minutes exercise on a regular basis, you will experience deep and healthy sleep. Do not exercise late at night during your sleep time as you may get too energised to sleep.


Conclusion:
We can conclude here that you cannot neglect the numerous benefits of regular physical workout. Enroll yourself in Pulse Health Clubs gym to shed the excess weight and burn calories. Regular workouts will not only help you live longer but live, healthier as well. It will also keep many lifestyle-related diseases away and raise your happiness level. When you are fit and healthy, you can deliver maximum output. 

Barre Workouts: What Are They and Are They Actually Worth Doing?

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It always amazes one to see the graceful performances given by ballerinas. Ballerinas have amazing body strength and great flexibility. This art has been transformed into physical exercises for at least a decade now. This opens doors for everyone so that people can enjoy trying ballet only in the form of physical activity to maintain their health. This form of exercise is called Barre. Barre Newstead has been a revolutionary step in the ever-growing field of exercise and workouts.

Is Barre a Dance or a Workout?

Many often confuse barre workout as learning ballet. It is a complete package of workout that involves strenuous stretching and improving flexibility. It also contributes heavily to refining endurance. People normally imagine themselves wearing ballet shoes and leotards to barre class. But for a barre workout class, you are required to wear your gym clothes and shoes only. No beats are to be matched, the only inch by inch movements are to be done as per the trainer’s instructions.

Is Barre the same as Strength Training?

This may look similar to the typical body strength building exercise, but there are major differences. Unlike making complex moves and big steps, like in squats, crunches, shoulder press, here small movements called isometric movements are taught. These movements are characterized by small inch by inch movements of the body that give an overall boost to the body’s strength and endurance. These movements don’t tear the muscles but heat them and test their elasticity.

Pulse Newstead Barre exercises follow the routine almost commonly that is followed anywhere else.

Starting off with floor exercises including planks, push-ups, arm exercises, and core heavy exercises for the thighs and glutes. Most of the exercises are based on bodyweight only, use of light weights is however incorporated for some. To engage your legs, exercise ball activities are used. Followed by this is the core-focused isometric movements.

Is Barre Worth the Effort?

Yes, barre is a worth while workout. Out of the many benefits it has, the below are a few important ones:

1. Tremendous Gain in Muscle Strength:

Unlike large compound exercises, isometric movements are muscle specific exercise that assist in building high endurance and great muscle strength. These benefits are a result of higher reps and longevity of remaining in the same posture.

2. Holistic Approach:

It can efficiently focus on more than one muscle in one go. These exercises not only build isolated muscles but can also help to build muscles holistically. This is achieved by conducting different tasks all at once like holding, pressing, and pulsing in the same movement.

3. Challenges the Body:

No pain no gain can rightly be used here. A lot of people immediately stop exercising when their body feels tremble. But the secret to any exercise and for it to actually have an impact is to push the body a little above the threshold. So when you tremble, don’t give in; it is only getting better!

4. A Boost in Mind-Body Relationship:

Believe it or not, in Reformer Pilates Teneriffe, it is noted that barre as an exercise improves the connectivity between the mind and body. After all, a healthy body builds a healthy mind.

5. Weight Loss:

Why work out if you don’t lose weight, right? All workouts bring shape and strength to the body, so does Barre. It is quite helpful in rapidly reducing weight.

Bottom Line:

If typical boring exercises have made you loathe workout sessions, Barre is the new trend that can bring excitement to your exercise sessions. So try this new practice and see how it can impact your life!

The Benefits of a Healthy Lifestyle

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Good consistent health takes effort and time to slowly build and sustain. Healthy living cannot be attained by eating nutritiously once and hitting the gym once in a blue moon unless you are blessed with a top-notch metabolism and great genes.

How to Have a Healthy Lifestyle?

For most of us, it is not easy to attain a healthy physical and mental state. People who strive to have stellar health need to work on it every single day. This includes being mindful of all that you put in your body and the way you use your body.

Here are the ways by which you can slowly but sustainably build healthy living:

1. Fluids:

It all begins with plenty of fluids. More often than not, the problems related to your physical discomforts like headaches and nausea can be attached with a dehydrated body. Not to mention, the health of your skin, organs and general health lies on how much water you drink. So, make sure to consume lots of fluids and if you’re not a big water lover (even though we suggest you try your best to be) such products like Hydralyte might be the perfect thing for you.

2. Diet:

The most important part of your health regime which can either make or break your health is the kind of diet you have. A balanced and nutritious diet that replenishes your body is very important. So, do your research as to what fits your bodily requirements and incorporate those foods. An added tip is to include super-foods into your diet.

3. Workout:

Nowadays, people realize the importance of working out and how it does more than just maintaining your physical appearance. We have a plethora of workouts to choose from like Pilates, power yoga, weight training and so forth. So invest in a little workout every 2nd or 3rd day and notice not only a physical change, but an internal and mental change as well; the perfect balanced lifestyle.

Why Lead a Healthy Lifestyle

There will always be those people who can debate the real importance of healthy living. So, let us tell you exactly what you gain from keeping yourself healthy and fit.

1. Better Skin, Better Hair, Better Body:

Eating nutritiously and quenching your bodily thirst will not have instantaneous effects. But in time you will notice that you have glowing skin, thicker hair, and a leaner body. This is no secret to anyone. It may take longer for some but you will definitely have a fit body if your core is nourished.

2. Mental Stress:

Everyone has experienced stress at one point in their life, some people probably do on a regular basis, a lot more than others. One of the ways to curb this stress is to work out and hit the gym or any health club regularly. As you workout, your body releases hormones like endorphins which make you less stressed and happier.

3. Satisfaction and the Ripple Effect:

The satisfaction you get from seeing your body radiate is a motivator which will have a ripple effect. In the book “Power of Habit”, the author has illustrated that one healthy habit has a ripple effect in transforming your life. Before you know it, you have an abundance of healthy habits in all the dimensions of your life.

Conclusion:

Leading a healthy lifestyle does not mean that you restrict yourself or put too much pressure on yourself to be happy and healthy, it is about feeling good from the inside out. So start making small changes today and do something the future you will appreciate.

Everything You Need to Know about Pilates

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In recent years, there has been a rise in popularity for Pilates. Today, people who hit the gym or take part in workout sessions know it as an activity to utilise all muscles and boost the muscle strength in their body.

Are you considering joining a Pilates studio? If yes, then here’s what you need to know.

An Introduction to Pilates

If you are a fitness enthusiast, you would have heard about Pilates. But many of you may be completely unaware of this or have very little understanding. The term ‘Pilates’ came from the surname of the German man who developed this kind of exercise. His name was Joseph Pilates. Initially, Pilates became popular among the dancers. But Joseph Pilates kept developing and advancing the exercises of Pilates and now this is available as a popular exercise form which you can learn by certified trainers all around the world including Australia.

How Pilates Differs from Yoga?

One major difference between yoga and Pilates is that the former is all about holding poses for multiple breaths, the latter is about constant movement. In the case of yoga, the challenging part for a practitioner is to hold on to a particular pose for a specified time. On the other hand, a practitioner needs to stay connected to their body and exercise better control over it while practising the Pilates workout.

Furthermore, yoga does not necessitate the use of any specific equipment but equipment like Reformer Pilates, Cadillac, and Barrels are necessary for performing the Pilates workouts.

How to Begin with Pilates?

To begin with, you can either go for regular classes or hire a private instructor for the purpose. If it is your first time, the latter option would be a better choice as you would get individual attention while learning the ins and outs of the workouts with Reformer Pilates Newstead.

However, it is also a good idea to have the services of a private instructor and supplement it with regular classes at a Pilates studio. This way, you will get sufficient practice. As a result, you will be more likely to get stronger and better with workouts and with more practice.

Helpful Tips to Choose the Right Pilates Studio

  • As a newbie, there are two key elements that you should remember. Firstly, make sure that you are choosing a studio which is fully loaded. Chances are you may not be comfortable with all the sets of equipment. Thus, more equipment means more experience and more opportunity to learn new things.
  • Secondly, it is important to choose the right instructor. They should be cooperative and understand your needs. Also, make sure that they give you individual attention to let you know if you are doing the workouts in a the intended way.

Final Thoughts:

Performing Pilates-based strength workouts is a great way to stretch all the muscles of the body. It does a world of good in boosting muscle strength in an individual. Make sure that you do it the right way to reap the maximum benefits of Pilates.

How Can Healthy Living And Exercise Benefit You?

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Today, everyone is taking a step towards healthy living. People are slowly moving towards more healthy eating habits, exercise, detoxing, diet plans, and meditation for peace of mind. Incorporating some healthy habits into your day to day life can prove to be a lot more beneficial for you in many ways.

Benefits of Healthy Living and Exercise

Everyone is looking forward to the path toward a balanced lifestyle, so why not you? Scroll down to some of the amazing benefits of healthy living and exercise here:

1. Happy Mind, Body, and Soul:

A daily dose of exercise can make you feel happier and energetic. Exercise is proven to reduce stress levels to a great extent. Studies even say that a 20-minute daily workout can make you feel much more relaxed for up to 7-8 hours in a day. Start your day with a little workout and it will instantly boost your mood and reduce your anxiety. Also, exercising daily can help in setting up that perfect body goal and ultimately towards healthy eating!

2. Good for Muscle Building:

Who doesn’t want a muscular, toned figure? Everyone dreams of a body like Mila Kunis or Chris Hemsworth. Exercising regularly along with a healthy diet and healthy living can bring you closer towards your dream body. It can help you to maintain strong muscles and bones and it also reduces the risk of any fractures. We would recommend joining a gym that can help you in meeting all your perfect body goals. Pulse Newstead Gym is Newstead’s top health and fitness gym. You can consider this gym if you are a newbie and have strong fitness goals in your mind.

3. Reduced Health Risks:

It is one of the most prominent benefits of living a healthy life and eating healthy foods in the long term. Foods like broccoli, beans, carrots, flaxseeds, chia seeds, nuts etc can reduce the risk of cancer and diabetes if consumed for a long duration. Health foods can be beneficial for mental and physical health.

4. Increased Energy Levels:

Eating healthily can boost your energy levels and ultimately leads to stronger workout and training performance at the gym. Consuming the right portions of carbs can help you indulge in more activities throughout the day and it makes you feel way more energetic.

It’s proven that a little physical activity and a balanced diet can support reduced fatigue levels and increased energy. You do not feel exhausted like you do after working your butt off at the office. So try to maintain healthy habits in your day to day life and stay as healthy as possible.

5. Healthy Skin:

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle can not only provide you with lots of health benefits, but it can also provide that natural glow on the inside and out.

Incorporating physical activities in your daily routine will make you sweat, which, in turn, opens up your clogged pores and cleans the deposited dirt inside your skin. Healthy skin tips always include drinking a lot of water, exercise, eating a healthy diet, and a regular intake of vitamins.

So, start planning to join a good gym near you and adopt a diet plan for yourself. You may also join yoga classes or try doing meditation. Stay focused on living a better life!