Ways To Improve Physical And Mental Health

Let’s look at ways to improve physical and mental health with the use of hobbies.

It’s an appealing idea to embody the Vulcan words of farewell, “live long and prosper.” However, navigating the creation of a long, healthy, and prosperous life can feel overwhelming, or worse, tedious.  To combat this, it helps to make things that are good for us both accessible and fun. So here are some great hobbies that you can use to improve your physical and mental health long term.

Here are some wonderful hobbies to try that are not only fun and will improve your physical health, but will improve your mental health as well.

Dancing

Incorporating dance into your life can take many forms, such as taking a class, attending salsa night at a Latin club, or heading to a concert.  However, it can also be more impromptu, like putting on music that gets you moving and dancing like no one is watching.  Regardless, it will be good for you.

A study for Complementary Therapies In Medicine found that exercise is as good as drug interventions for reducing the risk of overall mortality.

In addition, they found that dance was a more enjoyable, easier-to-maintain, form of exercise that helps people to lose weight, improve flexibility, gain muscle tone, improve cardiovascular health, and convey social/emotional benefits.

Cycling 

You can ride a cruiser, invest in a mountain bike, downhill race, road bike cross country, or some other variation on the theme.

There are many ways to cycle; each offers health benefits, a community of like-minded enthusiasts, and an enjoyable and healthy way to move your body.

Running

The best part about being a runner is that you can do it anywhere. All you need is a pair of good running shoes, a place to go, and the will to get going. You get to explore and see the countryside in ways you wouldn’t otherwise and it’s both immersive and personal.

There is also a meditative quality to it, an awareness of breath, gait, and environment that can firmly plant you in the present, enriching the moment and your life as a whole.

Couples Yoga 

Yoga is a wonderful form of exercise and relaxation for you. Few would bother to argue that point. In this case, the more can definitely be the merrier. There are postures you can try with a partner that would be impossible to do alone. Plus, the social aspect reinforces relationships, another critical component of overall health.

Swimming

This is an activity that provides it all: challenges, intensity, myriad variations, low impact, and immersion in a fundamental element.  In addition, there is something comforting about being in the water, perhaps an unconscious reminder of the womb.

Bird Watching

Being in nature has been proven to benefit the mind, body, and spirit.

When you add to this experience the mindful awareness of another species, the benefits multiply.  In a simple sense, you create a treasure hunt as you attune your eyes to picking out new feathered friends.

Each additional identification deepens and broadens your perception of the world around you. This connection increases your capacity to care for yourself and others by expanding your scope of care. Inclusiveness is good for everything.

Start A Website

Now starting a website is more mental than physical, but it is a great way to use writing to immerse yourself and get rid of your stress and worry.

Find a topic you love and just write about it like you are explaining it to somebody.

Who knows in a few years’ time you could have a lucrative website on your hands, which you originally created as a hobby.

If you want to know the easiest way to do this, with no costs to start, click here.

Conclusion

Making play out of the physical activities you engage in makes them more enjoyable and hence more sustainable over time.

It doesn’t matter what you choose to do, what’s important is that you keep moving. Use your hobbies for physical health as a springboard and explore some ideas of your own.  This is your adventure, so make it a good one.

References:

1. Lakes, K. D., Marvin, S., Rowley, J., Nicolas, M. S., Arastoo, S., Viray, L., Orozco, A., & Jurnak, F. (2016). Dancer perceptions of the cognitive, social, emotional, and physical benefits of modern styles of partnered dancing. Complementary therapies in medicine, 26, 117–122. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctim.2016.03.007
2. Robbins, J. (2020, January 9). Ecopsychology: How Immersion in Nature Benefits Your Health. Yale E360. Retrieved September 27, 2022, from https://e360.yale.edu/features/ecopsychology-how-immersion-in-nature-benefits-your-health