Stress Less, Sleep More and Increase Productivity.

It is well known that exercise goes hand-in-hand with the prevention of a wide-range of injuries and illnesses, including but not limited to cardiovascular disease, diabetes and osteoporosis. But did you know there are additional mental and social benefits which regular physical activity can help you achieve? Regular exercise can also result in better productivity and overall improvements to your work/life balance. Read on to discover how.

Reduced stress
Physical activity is known to cause an increase in endorphin production. Endorphins are a group of hormones which boost feelings of happiness and also have a pain-killing effect. By immersing yourself in the exercise, studies have shown people can enter a meditative-like state and completely forget about anything that may be stressing them out.

Better sleep
Research indicates that on days when you exercise, your quality and quantity of sleep is improved relative to days where you do not. The mechanism for this is not totally understood; but theories behind this suggest a drop in anxiety and depression whilst exercising have an overall calming effect on the body, or that the drop in body temperature post-exercise can induce a feeling of sleepiness. Thirdly the potential effect exercise may have on your body-clock.

Increased productivity
Exercise has been linked to increased productivity, with employers noting that those who exercise are happier in the work place, have less days off work and are generally more productive. The World Health Organisation recommend a minimum of 150 minutes per week / 20 minutes a day of moderate intensity exercise to see mental and physical health benefits. It can be as simple as walking to and from your office or hitting the pavement on your lunch break.

Consider what you can do to add a few extra kilometres or minutes of activity in your day. Find what works for you; an after-dinner walk, cycling to work or joining us here at TSIC for group Pilates or training run by Exercise Physiologists. Book online or call our team on 9783 9990.