Breathe In, Breathe Out: Exercise to Get Your Mind Right

So it’s March, the weather is warming up and swimsuit season is right around the corner. Unfortunately for most, including myself, that New Year’s resolution to stay in the gym three times a week, remains unmet. What some fail to realize, however, is that physical health is not only for the body, but positively affects mental health as well. It’s well known that with exercise, the body produces endorphins that act as a natural drug for the body. This is the reason why you get an energy burst and you feel a lot happier after working out. And with all of the mental stress and craziness that’s a part of our everyday lives, getting adequate exercise is even more important.

Many celebrities are known for endorsing particular exercise fads, and the fact that they can afford the best personal trainers makes their body proportions seem even more unrealistically attainable. Even pregnant celebrities have special ‘mommy’ workouts that promise to keep their bodies trim during those 9 months of excused weight gain. It just doesn’t seem fair that even with all of the work and stress the average person (you and me) endures, it’s almost impossible to get the body we want.

All of this can change however, if you take a new perspective on exercise and physical health. Instead of focusing on how many crunches will get you a 6 pack, instead center your energy on achieving a level of physical activity that will allow your mind to relax, and therefore function the most efficiently. One of the most common ways to achieve mental clarity is through yoga and meditation. Russell Simmons - clothing designer (Phat Farm), co-founder of Def Jam Records, Editor-in-Chief of GlobalGrind.com - is a perfect example of someone who does it all, but remains spiritually centered and mentally controlled. He is a passionate advocate of Transcendental Meditation and yoga, constantly preaching of its healing qualities for the inner self. In a recent blog post on GlobalGrind.com, Simmons explains the beneficial qualities of Transcendental Meditation for achieving mental health. “…When students practice Transcendental Meditation, their whole brain functions in a far more “coherent” manner. That means the left and right sides (hemispheres) of the brain, and the front and back of the brain, which are often disconnected, communicate much better during TM practice. In the technical language of the researchers, there were also higher “alpha” brain waves (which means greater inner wakefulness), along with smaller “beta” and “gamma” waves (which means deeper inner relaxation),” (GlobalGrind.com). The rest of the article comments on learning practices in the classroom, and how the focus should be on educating students about how to learn better rather than encouraging mindless memorization.

In another Global Grind post entitled “Why I Meditate,” Simmons claims “I have been a mediator for about 12 years. It has given me energy, strength, health, wisdom, and access to my own inner stillness, inner silence, inner bliss. It is my connection to myself; it is my connection to the universe.” What we can take and apply to our personal lives from Simmons’ experiences with meditation is that all we need to do is take a few moments to breathe. We need to use our bodies to physically engage in total relaxation and the result will be peace of mind. In these especially stressful times, where it seems to take double the work to achieve half as much, keep in mind that you DO have control over your mental health. There may be times when you don’t feel like going to the gym or taking a 20-minute jog because you’re stressed about everything else in the world you have to do. Understand however, that it’s during this time when you are the most stressed and your mind can’t focus that you need the physical stimulation. Taking care your physical body is taking care of your mind.

--Brittany Allen
Brownstone Intern