Want to be healthy and happy? Try exercising more!

Want to be healthy and happy? Try exercising more!

Source: Sunflower Children  

Author: Sunflower Children  

Editor: Wuxiu  

Date: April 17, 2023  

Sunflower Children continues to serialize a psychological healing gift for parents of children with tumors, authored by Tang Jing and Kong Lingxue — "You Are a Miracle: Psychological Recovery Methods to Overcome Tumors."

This week, let’s dive into Day 24's content.

Embarking on a Journey of Self-Care

Engaging in Exercise with Awareness

When we embark on a journey of self-care, it means we start to pay attention to our feelings both psychologically and physically.

How do you feel right now? Are you joyful or stifled, happy or feeling wronged? What sensations are you experiencing in your body? Are you relaxed and stretched out, or is there some soreness or discomfort? If there is pain, where is it coming from?

Once we become aware of our internal bodily sensations, we can better understand what we need to do for them.

For instance, if you feel self-critical or are attacking yourself with blame, it's essential to recognize the content of that self-blame, see the beliefs tied to it, adjust those beliefs, and stop the self-criticism.

If you notice tension in your neck, stand up and do a few stretches to relax and release that area. After ten minutes, or even just a minute or two, your body will respond positively, bringing back good feelings.

Interestingly, many times when we begin to stretch our bodies, whether through any means—extending our limbs, bouncing around, or engaging in any ball sports—we quickly find that not only does our stiff body start to ease, but our mood also lifts.

Yes, exercise can bring joy to both the body and mind because it stimulates the secretion of dopamine—a happiness hormone. It’s like infusing our bodily fluids with joyful factors that spread throughout, allowing every cell to feel this happiness and bringing us a sense of ease.

The benefits of exercise are numerous. It can accelerate bodily circulation and metabolism, stabilize blood lipids and blood sugar, enhance heart and lung function, and help eliminate bodily waste. It can also boost immunity, building a healthy defense for the body, and relieve psychological stress, guiding the body toward positive recovery cycles, improving health conditions, and restoring overall well-being.

If you want to be healthy and happy, try exercising more. Just like how I start my day with a 40-minute indoor workout, take a shower, have breakfast, and prepare for a vibrant day ahead.

I have always been a beneficiary of exercise. I try to walk as much as possible every day, play at least 2 hours of badminton weekly, do indoor workouts 2-3 times a week, and occasionally go to Olympic Forest Park or Chaoyang Park for brisk walking or running.

Overall, I ensure that I sweat at least 3 times a week, allowing my heart to beat more robustly and my lungs to take in air more comfortably. Regular exercise not only strengthens heart and lung functions and other organ systems but also enhances detoxification and metabolism, maintaining clear skin and a beautiful figure.

Currently, my body shape has not changed much since I finished growing in high school; I still often wear a denim skirt I bought 13 years ago.

Exercise is an excellent way of self-care. To love yourself means to take good care of your body and mind, allowing exercise to add a joyful spice to life and unleash your physical energy.

Try to find an exercise that makes you feel good; any type will do—swimming, badminton, basketball, tennis, table tennis, golf, squash, trampoline, jazz dance, aerobics, yoga, jogging, walking, etc.

Let me share another piece of my exercise experience. During exercise, try to be as aware as possible, feeling every part of your body and noticing changes in your mind. This practice not only minimizes the risk of injury and fatigue but is also a great way to train self-awareness.

Regardless of the type of exercise you do, please stay aware; it will lead to unexpected rewards.

During exercise, do not pursue competitive states of winning or losing, nor strive for perfect and elegant postures. Just focus on sensing your body and mind, the cooperation of your muscles and bones, the strong rhythm of your heartbeats, and enjoy the exercise itself. Relish the feeling of breathing in nature and the joy of partnering with friends…

For instance, when playing badminton, pay attention to your swinging, striking the shuttlecock, your footwork, and your stance. Notice your emotions when you lose and how you feel when you win.

Throughout this process, you will see how your thoughts and intentions collaborate with your physical actions, shaping your feelings and movements, and potentially influencing your enjoyment of the sport.

I have experienced this myself; while playing with awareness, I saw my anxiety and concern for appearances (fearing I would let down my partner if I didn’t play well), my worries about others’ opinions, self-criticism (this shot was poorly handled, sigh), and self-imposed limitations (you can only perform at this level) emerge.

This process allows for both physical exercise and self-reflection, acting like a mirror reflecting our inner thoughts and feelings. This weekly dialogue with myself has helped me understand myself better and has increased my fondness for badminton.

Some friends might say, “I’m really busy and don’t have time to exercise. What should I do?” It’s simple—if you want to exercise, there’s always a way.

If you’re particularly busy, you can try one-minute workouts. There are many ways to achieve a specific exercise goal in one minute; here are a few I commonly use:

One-minute jumps in place: Stand still, jump up and down continuously for a hundred times.

One-minute high knees: This not only works your heart and lungs but also exercises your glutes, sculpting a beautiful behind.

One-minute jumping jacks: Jump up, spreading your legs as wide as possible while stretching your arms out to the sides and clapping above your head; then lower your arms and bring your feet together. You can do this anywhere as long as your clothes allow it. In one minute, you can achieve 50 to 100 reps.

One-minute stretching: Stand, wrap your arms around your body and place them at the back of your head, then lean your whole body to the left, stretching the right side, holding for 30 seconds, then lean to the right, stretching the left side. This is suitable for more fitted clothing and limited settings for muscle relaxation.

Of course, there are many ways to keep our bodies from becoming stiff and aged. Depending on your physical condition and time availability, you can gradually explore the exercise methods that suit you best.

Exercises

1. List the types of sports you have participated in before. Any form of exercise you've engaged in is welcome.

2. Among these activities, which ones made you feel good and want to participate in multiple times?  

Image | Internet  

Layout | Xia Yu