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5 Surprising Psychological Benefits of Exercise
2021-11-08
We all know that exercise is great for our physical health but many people are taking up exercise for its psychological benefits too!
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'Your health is your wealth' they say, and if you have ever been ill or injured, you quickly understand what a gift good physical health is. Another saying is, 'Healthy body, healthy mind'. And while many physically healthy people can suffer from poor mental health, it is also true that being fit and active, eating well and looking after your body can help with your overall sense of wellbeing. If you’d like to check-in on your current mental health levels, you can measure your wellbeing here by taking our free Mental Health and Wellbeing Assessment today.
Our free courses on physical health and wellbeing cover everything from how your body's systems work to different kinds of exercise, like yoga or swimming. The human body is a machine that needs fuel and downtime so we have also gathered courses on nutrition, diet and sleep. And even the healthiest people sometimes have accidents or emergencies: knowing how to perform CPR could literally save a life and our free first-aid courses are in our Top 5 most popular courses ever. All you need to do to access expert information is create your free Affiliate Watch 24 account, choose a course and begin studying - that's it!
Exercise and fitness have a bad reputation with some people who associate them with going to the gym, wearing uncomfortable clothes and being stiff after a workout. But genuine fitness is a wonderful goal to have: those who exercise regularly sleep better, have more regulated metabolisms and work through stress faster. An important part of exercising is stretching your muscles - there are specific ways to do this without causing strain or injury that are covered by our fitness courses. Even if all you have is 10 minutes a day, we have a very short daily workout that will help you get fitter without taking up lots of time.
'You are what you eat'. How true is this? We don't mean that if you eat junk food you are a junk person but diets high in fats, salt and sugar and low in water, vegetables and fruit are likely to leave you malnourished. Malnourishment doesn't mean you are skinny - it means your body isn't getting the right combination of minerals, calories or kilojoules, vitamins and essential oils to function optimally. If you want to be truly healthy, you need to examine what you eat and adjust your diet where possible. Take as many of our free nutrition courses as you need to understand both the science and the everyday commonsense behind having a healthier diet.
Could you perform CPR to help save a life? Do you know what information to give if you need to phone for an ambulance in a medical emergency? When things go wrong, every second counts so knowing what to do in a health crisis situation can be lifesaving. Our free courses on basic life support techniques are some of our most popular ever. If you are a parent, carer, nanny or a manager who works with the public, you should know how to help someone in distress until paramedics can arrive and take over. This knowledge isn't only for highly qualified doctors: anyone can - and should - know how to help save a life. Our courses offer this vital information without any charge at all.
It is not only parents of young babies who are often sleep deprived. Research shows that with shift work, electric light, mobile phones, 24/7 entertainment and noise pollution, most people are getting less quality sleep than the body needs to do important maintenance work. If you are consistently tired, your concentration will fail, you will likely gain weight because your metabolism is thrown off kilter and you will be more susceptible to your immune system being compromised. Sleep allows your brain time to do important work, almost like 'filing' all the experiences you had while you were awake. Better sleep is possible - take a short course for practical tips to waking up refreshed and recharged!
Professional and amateur sportspeople take fitness more seriously than most and sometimes that leads to injuries. Making sure they are in peak mental and physical condition means dealing with any problems that may arise. Whether you are a sportsperson, trainer or therapist, we have courses that will help you troubleshoot common injuries and study how to treat them. These courses are ideal for anyone wanting to develop a career in the sports health arena.
Great athletes are defined not only by their physical abilities but also by their mental strength. Having the right mental attitude often means the difference between winning and participating in any competition. Discover how you or your team can build motivation and an appetite for success with our free courses. If you are more interested in reaping the psychological benefits that sports can bring than winning medals, our experts can help you there too.
The global rise in type 2 diabetes and heart disease can be linked to poor diets, high in salt, sugar and fat, and little exercise as people lead sedentary lives in front of the TV or computer screen. And while it can be fun to have an occasional day of junk food and a series binge, doing it too often is not good for your heart. The heart needs exercise, fresh air and healthy food to keep working at its best. Neglecting your diet and fitness is a recipe for clogged arteries (which can lead to strokes and heart attacks) and diabetes. If left untreated by not changing your diet, diabetes can lead to blindness and amputation of the lower limbs. If this sounds scary, know that education beats fear. Taking our heart health courses will teach you how to protect one of the most important organs in your whole body.
The human body is one of the most complex living organisms ever - even scientists don't understand how everything in our bodies truly 'works'. But our courses focus on what we do know about important systems like the urinary (kidneys and bladder), skeletal (bones and joints) and respiratory (lungs). Knowing names for parts of your body and seeing how organs work together (and what affects them negatively) will help you understand more when you are ill or injured. You will be able to tell a doctor about your symptoms more accurately and be able to take much better care of yourself, your children, your partner and your relatives. If you are considering a career as a carer or nurse, human anatomy will be one of the first subjects you will have to pass. Affiliate Watch 24's free courses on the human body will help you start your journey to better health.
If you want to combine high-intensity fitness training with self-defense techniques, martial arts are for you. Whichever east Asian tradition interests you, there are benefits for your body and mind. Martial arts classes have been shown to improve fitness, flexibility, strength and mobility. They sharpen the reflexes and aid memory. Build your confidence and self-discipline as you explore some of these ancient combat training forms. Our courses many types of martial arts, covering everything from self-defense for women to techniques that will see you safely through a street fight.
The world is busy, we're busy, our kids are busy, work is busy, traffic is busy... It seems like there is often never a moment's peace for many people. Mindfulness is a way of deliberately being aware of the present moment: you pause and take note of your bodily sensations, thoughts and emotions, calmly acknowledging them without acting on them. This is a great way to relax but it does take practice to get right. Fortunately, we have some good free mindfulness courses that can teach you the essence of what being 'mindful' means. Meditation is another great destressing and relaxing technique that also takes some practice. Our guides will show you meditation techniques that will let you feel lighter and more at peace. Sign up today so you can enjoy the benefits of meditation and mindfulness as soon as possible.
Think you will never twist yourself into a human pretzel or stand on your head? That's OK: yoga is all about doing as much as you can, avoiding pain and gradually building up your suppleness. There is no pressure to do the advanced poses, which is great news as even basic yoga for beginners has health benefits like aiding digestion, improving circulation, calming you down and improving flexibility. Yoga is not a competition but a beneficial practice you can keep up for the rest of your life.
Alternative healing is a way of describing treatments and medications that aren't considered part of conventional Western medicine. Cultures around the world developed therapies for the unwell before the West came into contact with them, and many people now use alternative healing practices. If you are unfamiliar with them, our free courses are the best place to start. You can explore everything from the energy flow of reiki to seeing how different colours can influence us.
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