Bad days happen to everyone. Whether it was work, a difficult family conversation, or an unexpected bout of bad news, resisting the temptation to hit a drive through and crash on the couch might be the key to overcoming your bad day. FitClub has three reasons you should exercise before you end that bad day with unhealthy decisions.
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Don’t take it home. A bad day only becomes worse when you take it home and into your relationships. Research suggests that this is more than just common sense, but actual science. Researchers at the University of Central Floridastudied college students working full-time and taking full course loads. Their research found that the students that were more active for sixty minutes each day during stressful periods reported significantly less frustration among the people they shared their homes with. Making time for yourself at FitClub before you take your bad day home with you doesn’t just benefit you, but also your loved ones!
Endorphins are good for you. According to Mayo Clinic, endorphins are a naturally occurring chemical in our brains that “enhance the sense of well-being.” Whether you have a predisposition towards anxiety and depression, or just need an endorphin boost to alleviate the physical and mental distress of a bad day, endorphins are the healthiest and most readily available chemical to course correct your mood. Take your frustration out on the treadmills or weights and bounce back faster, stronger, and healthier.
Your self esteem can suffer when you have a bad day. Imagine having a difficult conversation with your boss, and then hitting the drive through on your way home and eating too many calories, grease, and unhealthy trans fats. How do you really feel about yourself when it’s time to go to bed? Not only do you feel mentally drained and down on yourself for your bad day at work, but now your self-esteem has dropped further because you know you made an unhealthy decision for your body, too. Exercise not only promotes a healthier body and improved fitness, but it shapes the way we think about ourselves. Do you have higher self-esteem when you crush a hard workout or when you tank out on the couch, full of grease for a television binge? Course correct your self-esteem before you hit your bed after a bad day and wake up feeling strong, confident, and capable.
The key to taking advantage of FitClub after a long day at work or during a difficult period in your personal life is to always be prepared for your workout. Prioritizing time for your health and fitness can be difficult during times of high stress, but if you prepare by taking your workout clothes to work with you, making time for a group exercise class during your workday, or scheduling time to work out with a friend instead of happy hour after work, you might find that your bad days seem less significant than they did before!
How do you set yourself up to prioritize your workout during stressful periods?
