78 AsiaSpa July/August 2017Well-Being
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s k d i f f e r e n t p e o p l e i n t h e
same town or city around the
globe, and you’ll receive a wide
range of opinions on why exercise is
important. For some, it’s a chore for
health, while others strive towards a
fitness goal. For an increasing number
however, exercise is a route to improved
well-being. Some find solace in flowing
through sun salutations, while others
find release in burpees and hill sprints,
pushing their limits while endorphins
improve their mood as a result.
This then begs the question: is one
type of workout better for well-being than
another? And why do the effects differ for
each person? At face value, it could be that
our enjoyment of exercise and its feel-good
effect is what we’re after, and whether thatform of training helps us get there.
Calorie-torching, for example, doesn’t
get much more effective than aerobic or
cardiovascular activity, such as running,
swimming and high-intensity interval
training. Its multitude of benefits make
it equally as essential for endurance
athletes focused on building stamina and
cardiovascular capability, as it is for those
looking to lose weight or improve health.
Of course, weight loss comes with its own
feelings of enhanced well-being with an
increase in confidence and self-worth,
but that’s not the only motive for pushing
yourself to the max.NATURAL HIGH
London-based personal trainer Helen
B a r l ow, k n ow n f o r h e r u n wave r i n genthusiasm, positivity and boundless energy,
credits high-impact exercise as giving her a
‘post-workout high’. And anyone who has
experienced the feel-good endorphins that
flood the body when we raise the heart rate
and get the blood pumping, will agree.
This notion certainly isn’t new, but
clinical research has only in recent years
begun to demonstrate that this is truly the
case. For example, we now know that the
brighter frame of mind after an aerobic
workout is the result of an exercise-induced
increase in blood circulation to your brain,
among other physiological reactions.
In terms of how long it takes to feel this
emotional boost, studies show that the
mood-enhancing effects begin to kick in
just five minutes after moderate intensity
exercise such as going for a light run. For