5 Exercises To Maintain Your Mental Toughness

What do we mean exactly when we say “mental toughness?” What is the association between physical exercise and the resilience of your mind? The body and the mind are closely related and one certainly affects the other. 

 

Mental toughness is a measure of your ability to bounce back from setbacks. If you don’t take care of your body, you will lack essential cognitive skills such as creativity, the ability to focus and memory recall.

 

Have you had bad days when everything seemed to go wrong? You decide to go for a walk and in no time, you notice that something in you is changing - you feel lighter, you are able to see things from a different perspective and concerns diminish.

 

1. Walking to achieve Optimal Mental Strength

 

Walking at a constant, steady pace promotes wonderful changes in your brain. Many studies encourage walking less than thirty minutes a day to reduce certain mental problems, avoid depression and enhance the quality of your life.

 

The simple constant and regular movement during this half hour set our heart “in motion”. You will flood your body with oxygen and in particular your brain. Walking releases tension and will help to bring those calm brain waves into play! These allow us to attain that level of consciousness which allows us to be more receptive to the world.

 

2. Smile, a wonderful Therapeutic Exercise

 

You might surprise yourself and even fail to believe when you smile it is therapeutic and will fill you with positivity. Simply smiling will make a real difference to your mental state. You only need to smile and your brain sends you back a torrent of endorphins.

 

It is as if you reconnect or regain a perspective on reality. This will allow you to disconnect from everyday stress. For this reason, do not hesitate to smile every day. When you feel exhausted, just smile in the mirror. See yourself and perceive what is happening inside of you.

 

3. Deep breaths 3 times a day

 

Stress leads to unbalanced and accelerated breathing and prevents the brain from getting the right amount of oxygen that it requires. In addition, any situation of stress or anxiety releases cortisol, which is a hormone that in high doses can negatively impact your mind and body.

 

To avoid problems with stress be sure to participate in deep breathing exercises.

 

• Three times a day practice your deep breathing for 15 minutes

• When you breathe in count for 5 seconds. Hold your breath for 7 seconds and then exhale for 8 seconds

• Keep doing these deep breathing exercises and you will see great improvement

 

4. Stretches in the Morning

 

Morning stretches will help you to maintain your mental strength as you learn to “relax” your body. In other words, it will provide your body with relaxation, elasticity, resistance and more.

 

Get up a little earlier in the morning and start with some gentle stretching exercises. They should focus on your neck area, shoulders, hips and lower back.

 

5. Lifting Weights

 

You will find it very therapeutic to participate in simple resistance exercises. The aim with these exercises is to reduce anxiety. To release negative emotions such as worry, apprehension and fear spend around 10 to 15 minutes each day lifting weights.

 

This moderate intensity resistance exercise will not only allow you to gain stronger muscles, but will also help you better channel rage, frustration, anxiety and other negative emotions. When you use all five of these simple exercises you will have more agile mental strength day after day! In addition, you will be prepared to face daily challenges.