The Mental Benefits of Exercise

“When you increase motion in your life by exercising, you will begin to expand your mental and emotional range.” – The Health Journal

It’s common to get stuck in our daily routines – same thing, different day. What many of us don’t realize is that getting stuck in our ways can take a negative toll on our creativity and overall brain activity. One of the most effective ways of putting rest to the whirlwind of thoughts that accumulate in the left brain is vigorous exercise. That’s right – there are mental benefits of exercise in addition to the physical ones! When it comes to boosting creativity and thinking “outside the box,” it doesn’t matter what type of exercise you choose, whether it’s running, swimming, biking, or an intense walk. The important thing is to find an activity that will force you out of your comfort zone and current pattern of thinking.

Experiencing the Mental Benefits of Exercise

You may wonder, “How will I know if it’s working or not?” It will be clear to you when you experience the mental benefits of exercise. For example, if you find yourself exercising and you’re still thinking about the events of the past day, maybe everything you need to get done or something said or done to you by another person, that’s when you know to pick up the pace.

Exercise and Creativity

When you truly experience the connection between exercise and creativity, space is created in your mind. Inspiration, creativity, and new ideas begin floating to the surface. However, in order to get the mental benefits of exercise you must make working out a regular activity (at least four days a week).Trust us, it’s worth it! Bringing more creative and innovative thoughts to the table could get you much more success in life. The mental benefits of exercise can also help you stand out in the workforce and be counted on for new ideas and advice in personal relationships. Exercising can also bring more excitement to your life, leading you away from the daily “ruts.”

According to a recent health study conducted by Newsweek magazine, “Vigorous physical exercise helps your creative process by forcing you out of left brain dominant thinking. In addition, exercise improves blood flow, while increasing oxygen to the brain. Regular exercise even leads to the creation of new neurons.” Being more creative can help you in any stage of life, whether you’re a student writing English papers or an adult in the business world. When you exercise for mental health, you can improve your creativity and your fitness level!

Get the Mental Benefits of Exercise at Big Vanilla

Are you ready to experience the mental benefits of exercise for yourself? Then come to Big Vanilla! Our Arnold and Pasadena, MD health clubs have everything you need to exercise for mental health. Try our fitness equipment, swimming pools, group exercise classes, rock walls, and more. You can get fit, have fun, and boost your creativity! Get your free seven-day guest pass to try us out for yourself! In the meantime, make sure to check out Big Vanilla Athletic Club on Facebook!

Exercise and Disease: How Working Out Keeps You Healthy

You already know exercise is important for your body – it not only makes you feel good, but it also keeps you fit! However, you might not know there is a strong connection between exercise and disease prevention. Read on to learn more about how health and exercise support one another – and how you can take advantage of the connection!

Exercise and Disease: Your Heart

You heart is a very important muscle – the most important one you have! The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that 27.1 million adults were living with heart disease in 2010, and it was the number one cause of death in America in 2009, killing 599,413 people. As you can see, this is a serious issue. The American Heart Association recommends a person should exercise for 30 minutes a day in order to reduce his or her risk of heart disease. They mention studies that claim for every hour you walk, you add two hours to your life expectancy! Plus, exercise lowers blood sugar and helps regulate your cholesterol levels – putting a huge dent in your risk for heart disease! Exercise and disease are very connected, especially when it comes to your heart, so make sure you work out regularly to keep your heart healthy.

Exercise and Disease: Immunity

Immunity is another important part of the exercise-disease connection. Your immune system helps you fight off all kinds of illnesses including serious diseases such as cancer. Studies have shown time and time again that exercise can improve your immune system, therefore helping you avoid everyday illnesses like the common cold and more serious ones down the road. So you might see immediate benefits in your health by exercising – and years from now as you age!

Exercise and Disease: Weight Control

Everyone knows that excess weight isn’t healthy. But you might not realize just how unhealthy it is. Being overweight is a major contributor to many diseases such as Type II diabetes, which requires daily monitoring and treatment. Weight control is a big part of how exercise and disease are linked because losing weight can make a positive difference in your health – and exercise can help to get you there. Plus, you’ll not only feel better on the inside, but you’ll probably enjoy the change in your outward appearance as well. Get healthy and get a great confidence boost in the process!

Health and Exercise are Easy at Big Vanilla

If you want to get healthy, Big Vanilla Athletic Club is the place to do it. We have rock walls, swimming pools, exercise classes, personal trainers, and more, so you can get a great workout by doing whatever most interests you. Once you understand there is a connection between exercise and disease, you can start making it work to your advantage. Come get your exercise at Big Vanilla so you live a long, healthy life. You can even get a free 7-day guest pass to check out our Arnold and Pasadena, MD facilities for yourself. In the meantime, be sure to check out Big Vanilla Athletic Club on Vimeo to learn more about us!

Five Healthy Snacks

It’s 3 p.m. at the office and your fullness from lunch is beginning to wear off. You start feeling hungry so you head to the vending machine. Your options are high-calorie candy, chips, or soda. None of these do you any favors when it comes to keeping you fit! But there are some healthy snacks out there that can control your hunger and won’t ruin your diet. Here is a list of five for you to try!

#1: Nuts

Nuts have a lot of great nutrients in them including protein, fiber, potassium, and calcium. Most nuts contain vitamin B and many contain vitamins A, C, E, and more. You can find omega-3 fatty acids and magnesium in walnuts and almonds. If you are watching your cholesterol levels, nuts are great because they are cholesterol-free! In terms of easy healthy snacks, nuts are great to take with you to work because they don’t require any refrigeration or preparation. You can just grab a handful whenever you start feeling hungry!

#2: Apples

There’s a reason for the old saying, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” – apples are very good for you! Apples have lots of great nutrients in them including calcium, fiber, and potassium as well as around 10% of your recommended vitamin C for the day! You can also use apples to make quick healthy snacks – try adding peanut butter to each apple slice. Best of all, the sugar in apples is a great way to get a quick pick-me-up – studies show that apples can wake you up faster than a cup of coffee, and with better energy quality to boot!

#3: Celery

Here is a vegetable to add to your list of healthy snacks: celery! Celery is great for vitamins A, B6, C, and K, as well as fiber. Celery has high concentrations of several minerals including potassium, calcium, and manganese. On its own, celery can seem a little boring, so try adding peanut butter or low-fat dressing to give it a bit more flavor. And, just like our other healthy snacks, celery has no cholesterol! There is also some truth to the rumor that celery is a “negative calorie food” due to its high water content – while eating celery alone won’t necessarily make you skinny, studies have shown that it creates a slight caloric deficit.

#4: Yogurt

Plain yogurt is another one of the healthy snacks you can pick up pre-made at the grocery store. Yogurt has high values of vitamins B12 and B6, phosphorus, and calcium. Yogurt is also good for your digestive health and has low amounts of cholesterol. If the taste of plain yogurt doesn’t appeal to you, try adding in some fruits like apples, peaches, blueberries, or strawberries to sweeten it up a bit.

#5: Popcorn

Sounds crazy, but it’s true – air-popped popcorn is one of the healthiest snack foods out there! Get plain popcorn and season it with salt-free seasoning blends, sea salt and black pepper, or whatever else you like – just make sure you skip the movie theater butter!

Eat Your Healthy Snacks then Get a Workout at Big Vanilla

Eating healthy snacks is a good way to get fit, but you need to work some exercise into your schedule as well! Come to Big Vanilla and see all the great exercise equipment we have to offer, or try out our rock walls, swimming pools, sport courts, and more! Everything you need to get fit is right in our Arnold and Pasadena, MD facilities. You can get a free 7-day guest pass to check it out for yourself. For more great tips on living healthy, follow Big Vanilla Athletic Club on Twitter!