Happiness is in the mind, and the mind is supported by the body. Without physical health you can't be completely happy, and without mental happiness you can't be completely healthy. They rely on each other.

Yoga, Pilate's and martial arts form links between the mind and the body. Yoga is great because you get to practice Yoga poses, breathing exercises, meditation and chanting all at once.

Benefits of this kind of exercise include:

• decreasing stress and enhances powers of relaxation
• boosting physical strength, stamina and flexibility
• enhaning concentration and self control
• aiding in rehabilitation of old and new injuries
• intensifying tolerance to pain and enhancing mental clarity
• boosting functioning of the immune system
• enhancing posture and muscle tone
• improving blood circulation
• improving overall organ functioning
• giving peace of mind and a more positive outlook to life
• infusing internal harmony and sense of balance

I couldn't agree more... Since finding some enjoyment in exercise, I have been happier, less stressed and feel so much better about myself! I never enjoyed exercise before realizing the benefits. Because I work at the YMCA, I was forced to exercise. At fist it sucked... I had no energy, stress level was high because I didn't know if I could do it and I was so sore! After about a month of this, something clicked... I wasn't doing anything different but my body started to respond positively to exercise. It is so weird! Now I feel bad if I don't exercise whereas before I felt bad after a workout. The key is keeping consistent until you make it past the turning point!

If anyone wants help or has more questions about how to make it past the hump... please don't hesitate to ask... That's why we made this website!

So Ken, did you start work at the Y before you started exercise?

I always assumed you had started at the Y, because you had go into fitness!

Yeah, I know I'm posting on a few old threads today- I'm just in one of those moods! (And it's raining outside...)

I played sports all though school, but the only time I really stepped my feet into a gym was to play basketball on the court. I knew what a gym was , heck I even bought a gym membership a couple times but it never stuck... I would go into the gym try a couple weights or got on a row machine... I'd get bored or it would be a little tough and then I'd go out to the gym and play basketball. I really wish I had some guidance early on, I think if I did I could have been really great in sports instead of just average. Plus, I feel so much better about myself. Exercise really works... I just wish I would have learned it earlier!

It's not too late for you . It is right for you to continue and make a new change in your life. Do the things which you didn't do before. If there's still a life, there's still a hope. Exercise is really good to our body. seo services

"Regular physical activity can help counter the potentially damaging effects of stress on the body and may help prevent stress-related illnesses," says John McCarthy, executive director of the International Health Racket & Sports club Association (IHRSA). "These activities provide a natural way to release tension in the body and will often lead to an automatic state of relaxation that naturally follows a good workout."

The link between mind and body was accepted in ancient India, the birthplace of yoga, thousands of years ago. It has taken a while for Western fitness experts to embrace the idea, however, the concept of holistic health and fitness is rapidly gaining popularity and acceptance. In a survey of health clubs belonging to IHRSA, twenty-three percent offer classes specifically geared to wellness and stress reduction.

In health clubs across the country, the trend is moving away from classes focusing simply on muscle and cardiovascular training to ones that include overall wellness and whole-body maintenance. Over the past few years, more and more people have discovered the benefits of workouts that stimulate the emotions as well as the muscles.

Classes such as yoga, Pilate's and martial arts fill up as quickly as health clubs put them on the schedule. According to IHRSA, participation in yoga classes at U.S. health clubs increased by 200 percent between 1998 and 2000.

This mind-body approach appeals to individuals at all different fitness levels. Consumer research shows that an impressive number of American health club members cite holistic motivations for working out. Better-than-half (54%) said that when they exercised regularly, they feel like they have their overall act together, while 38 percent said that when they do not exercise regularly, they just don't feel right.

Thanks....

These benefits of the physical fitness are quite right.
Exercise make you happier and more relaxed than you were before you worked out. Regular physical activity can even help prevent depression and high blood pressure. Exercise help in burn calories. The more intense the workout, the more calories you burn, and make easier to keep your weight under control.

I think of workouts as a simple thing. I started working out when I realized that all these so-called philosophies and over-hyped talk about working out made it a big deal. Now I think of it as a fun thing. I go to the gym, mingle with the folks there, and workout as if I was just going to my college. Really, finding happiness in what you do is not easy. But thinking of something as interesting or funny really makes it interesting and worthwhile.

Very true - some folks approach exercise as a chore, and as a result either do it infrequently, or even worse, stop altogether.

It's very important to find a method of exercise that you enjoy - whether that be taking up jogging, swimming, cycling, trying a martial art or a team sport is not that relevant, just that you do something you can enjoy. That way you're more likely to stick at it. And consitency, as we all know, is what brings results.

Great points you got there. To achieve the mind-body connection, various traditional as well as innovative new exercise programs have gained in popularity in recent times.

Good thread. The suggestion of the members are really good. I like it. Thanks for sharing this thread.