The concept of self-care is one that encompasses a wide range of ideas and actions. When we talk about self-care, we are talking about ways in which we can nourish our minds, feed our souls, and simply care for ourselves in a loving and kind way.

Exercise is an essential component of self-care as it helps to keep both the mind and the body healthy. When we exercise regularly, and with consistency, we become stronger, we become more focused and several different aspects of our health will begin to improve also.

Endorphins for Self-Care

When the body is engaging in any kind of physical activity, from walking to extreme sports, then endorphins will be released around the body. Endorphins are neurotransmitters and they play a key role in keeping the central nervous system functioning as it should. Endorphins interact with receptors in the brain in order to boost your mood.

Endorphins are fantastic for stress reduction, and reduced stress levels will help to create the right frame of mind for embracing self-care. They also help to naturally reduce anxiety and to boost focus.

How Often is Often Enough?

Many experts are in agreement that between 30 minutes and one hour of vigorous exercise three times a week is an ample amount to feel the benefits – both physically and mentally. This amount of exercise is adequate for getting your heart pumping and thereby improving your cardiovascular capacity over time.

Additionally, scheduling your workouts three times a week will ensure that you are taking time for yourself. This time spent exercising can also be time in which you process the events of the day and pay attention to your thoughts and feelings. Having this time for yourself is a simple act of self-care, and one that can help to keep you feeling happy and balanced.

That’s not to say that if you can’t commit to at least this amount of exercise that you shouldn’t do any at all! Starting slow and discovering what your body is capable of is the first step to establishing both an exercise and a self-care routine.

Alternatives to Exercise

If conventional exercise isn’t your thing, then there are countless other great ways that you can engage in physical activity. These alternative physical activities can still be defined as acts of self-care. This is because they are things that you are consciously engaging in because you understand the benefits to yourself of doing so. This simple concept of doing something for yourself is the very basis of self-care.

You may try hiking, team sports, hula-hooping, surfing, dancing and more!

Choosing the Best Exercise for Your Self-Care

You may already know which types of exercise you enjoy the most, and if so then making these exercises are more regular part of your weekly schedule is a great start. However, it will also be helpful to try new things, and to be open to types of exercise and other activities that you haven’t tried before.

A combination of cardio and strength exercises is the best way to ensure that you are enhancing your health and fitness in an all-round way. Cardio is fantastic for your heart health and stamina, whereas strength exercises will help to maintain and boost your muscle mass.

You can also benefit from engaging in periods of meditation, either before or after your workout!. Doing so is a great way to prepare yourself for your workout, and also to unwind and relax again afterwards. Click here to discover the many benefits of meditation!

At PAMA London it is our passion to provide comfortable, functional activewear that can be worn for any activity. You can click here to check out our current range of bras, leggings, shorts and tops – all of which are made from sustainable eco-friendly materials!

[Physical]

Yoga is an all-round incredible practice that benefits your mind, your body and your soul. It can help you to discover peace within yourself, enhance your physical fitness, and improve your mental health and wellbeing.

Encouraging your children to give yoga a try at a young age is an amazing way to help them develop into happy, healthy young adults! Within reason, there is no age too young to get your child into yoga, and there are several very basic poses and stretches that you will be able to flow through with them.

If you are unable to take your child to a yoga class, then practicing at home is also a good way to introduce them to this spiritual activity. The following poses are perfect for getting started. It is a good idea if you do the pose first and then your child can follow suit!

Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)

This is one of the most common poses for yoga practitioners regardless of their age. It is a great connecting pose between other more complex poses, but can also be held on its own.

To get into this pose you must start on your hands and knees on the mat. Tuck your toes in, lift your buttocks up, and create a triangle with your body. Push your chest forward and allow your head to hang down. You may bend your knees slightly if required. Ensure you keep your feet firmly on the ground as you hold the pose in this position.

Downward Facing Dog is great for getting the blood flowing around the body and will also help your child to develop their balance and stability.

Mountain Pose (Tadasana)

Tadasana is amongst the simplest of the yoga poses and requires more concentration than it does physical ability.

All you have to do is place your feet firmly on the mat with your shoulders relaxed, and feel the crown of your head reach up towards the ceiling. Make sure you balance your weight equally between both feet and hold your hands in prayer position in front of your heart.

Mountain Pose is great for lengthening and strengthening the body, and can help to increase awareness and posture. It is also a good pose to help children focus on their breathing, as they are not distracted by trying to hold themselves in position as they may be with other more complicated poses.

Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana)

Begin by lying down with your chin on the mat, your belly down and your palms flat on the mat beneath your shoulders. Your legs should be together. Squeeze your thighs and buttocks and bring your head and chest up away from the floor without relying on your arms to do so. Keep your elbows tucked in to the sides of your body and push through your palms into the floor.

Cobra pose is great for stretching the muscles in the shoulders, chest and back. It improves flexibility and boosts the mood. Cobra pose can also help to reduce stiffness in the lower back.

Maintaining Healthy Habits

Yoga is an amazing way to enhance both your physical and mental health, and is therefore very beneficial to encourage your child to embrace. However, some yoga poses can be quite challenging and the key is to have fun and bond with your child. If they are struggling to hold a pose then you should always encourage them to exit the pose and try again.

As you continue to practice yoga together it will be exciting to see how you both progress, and how you feel the benefits in other areas of your life!

[Creative]

Happiness is something that we all want to invite into our lives in abundance whenever possible! However, we often go about doing so in different ways. With each individual step on our journey to happiness, we may discover new and exciting things that help us to reach this goal. We meet new people, embrace new pursuits, and learn more about ourselves and what we are capable of. Some of these things may have a permanent influence on how happy we are, whereas some may turn out to not be as positive.

One indisputable way to create a mindset that enables happiness to thrive is by regularly engaging in exercise.

Some of the most obvious benefits of regular exercise are weight loss, weight maintenance and muscle building. However, there are also many advantages to be enjoyed by both the body and mind in other ways. When you exercise frequently, you will notice that your stress levels are lower, that you are less prone to anxiety and that your mood is better and more consistent. And, all of these things help to create genuine happiness!

Let’s take a look at why this is!

A Dose of Dopamine

When you are engaging in some kind of moderate intensity physical activity, you will stimulate dopamine production in your brain. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that is necessary for feelings of happiness and pleasure.

Research* has suggested that our dopamine stores naturally become depleted as we grow older. Therefore, finding ways to continuously encourage the brain to make more dopamine as we age is essential if we are to continue being happy!

Happy Hormones

Getting our stress levels down is something that we can all surely benefit from. The negative effects of leading a stressful life are serious! Stress can make us ill, make us sad, make us irritable – all of which can lead us to treat those we interact with in a different way than we would like to. To put it simply, stress damages our mood and it keeps us from becoming the happiest that we can be!

When you exercise you are actually instigating small amounts of stress to occur within the body as your heart rate rises. This increase in your heart rate causes a change in the levels of hormones that are present, and can therefore have a knock-on effect on your mood.

When you regularly subject your body to small bursts of stress, it becomes much better able to cope with the larger stresses that are encountered in your day to day.

It has been suggested that aerobic exercise is the best way to enjoy the stress-busting benefits of working out, and you can try swimming, running or cycling to get started!

Fuel Your Focus

It is difficult to dedicate much time at all to being happy when your mind is cluttered with thoughts, feelings, worries and anxieties! If you have a busy schedule, or have pressures placed upon you for any reason, then happiness can often take a back seat to getting everything done.

Exercise has the potential to help you clear your mind of all of these stresses, and encourage you to focus more on what is actually important.

How Much Exercise?

When it comes to how much exercise we should be engaging in, there is good news for those who are short on time! One study* suggests that even engaging in a short 20 minute burst of exercise can enhance your mood for the following 12 hours. If this is true, then starting your day with something as simple as a 20 minute run could have a huge impact on how positive the rest of your day is.

At PAMA London we know first hand how fantastic exercise is for health and happiness. With our extensive range of activewear we wish to encourage everyone to get into fitness in a comfortable, stylish and sustainable way. Click here now to check out what’s on sale!