We all basically understand that exercise is good for us. After all, there are all those magazines showing successful, rich people with washboard abs, cannonball shoulders, and body fat percentages low enough to make any skeleton jealous.

But exercise isn’t just great for its ability to help us to strip back the body fat and build up our muscles, or even for the ways in which it can benefit our heart and lungs, and help us to live longer.

Rather, exercise has a holistic effect that can transform our mood and well-being in numerous ways. So, if you’ve been neglecting your workouts, it might be time to get back on track. After all, you’ll invest in cheap van insurance for the sake of your vehicle, so why not invest in basic exercise for the sake of yourself?

Here are some ways in which exercise can change your mood and wellbeing for the better.

By making you feel better in the moment due to the endorphin rush

Sometimes we all find ourselves dealing with immense stress, irritation, and pressure, if not outright depressive episodes.

These negative states can occur for any number of reasons, ranging from trouble at work, to interpersonal dramas with your significant other, friends, or family or even just “getting up on the wrong side of the bed”.

One of the best ways of getting some rapid, temporary relief from these unwelcome moods is to hit the gym and work it out. While it may take a seemingly monumental effort to get yourself into your workout clothes and down to the gym, the payout will be well worth it.

Physical training gets the blood flowing and the heart pumping, it releases feel-good endorphins that boost mood, and helps you work out the tension in your body.

By giving you a sense of belief in your own potential

Getting through a workout when you felt like doing nothing more than sitting on the couch is a great reminder that you are capable of getting things done, despite the initial reaction from the more luxury-oriented parts of your psyche.

Likewise, sticking with a workout program to the point where you begin to notice benefits — either in terms of your physical appearance, or your athletic performance — reinforces, on a deep psychological level, your sense of potential and possibility, not to mention your faith in your own abilities to change your life for the better.

Exercising leads to personal victories — both small and large — which can make life seem that much sunnier. Personal training classes by Trophy Fitness Club help you accomplish your goals.

By making you more physically effective in the world

When you’re able to perform basic physical tasks more effectively — such as carrying the groceries from your car to the front door of your house, moving a sofa around the living room, or even just running for a train without feeling like you’re dying — you’re almost certainly going to feel “better” than you did before.

While not the key way in which exercise boosts mood, the practical benefits that come from regularly working out can be very fulfilling and encouraging.