This Practice is Scientifically Proven to Help you Reach your Goals
This article was originally posted on baby2body.com — home to our sister app and all of the resources women need for a healthier, happier pregnancy and postpartum. This post has been modified for our MBODY audience.
It's scientifically proven that practicing gratitude can improve your physical and mental well-being and make you more likely to exercise — seriously!
So, we’re starting 2023 by focusing on the joy that comes with moving your body.
Keep reading to learn about why we’re focusing on JOY in 2023 & to find out how you can set goals that empower you to live healthier and happier all year long!
Why we’re focusing on JOY in 2023
Whether you’re looking to start up a yoga practice or just feel happier, practicing gratitude and finding JOY is scientifically proven to help you crush your fitness goals, and it’s all about shifting your mindset. We know it sounds simple, but here are some quick stats that might help convince you…
One study showed that people who wrote about gratitude a few times a week exercised more and had fewer visits to the doctor
Another 2003 study showed that participants who practiced gratitude regularly for 11 weeks were more likely to exercise than those who didn’t
A 2013 study showed that the “more grateful” someone is, the more likely they are to enjoy better physical and mental health
That’s pretty powerful stuff, don’t you think?
That’s not all. Practicing gratitude and focusing on JOY also:
Increases self-esteem
Studies show people who feel more gratitude are less likely to compare themselves to others
Improves sleep
A 2016 study showed that practicing gratitude for 2 weeks increased sleep quality, leading to enhanced wellbeing
Reduces blood pressure
The same 2016 study shows reduced blood pressure in participants
Greater happiness
Studies show that gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships
We've found that there's one big reason why our fitness efforts don't always come to fruition and instead leave us with mixed emotions towards exercising: it's because it's very easy (and all too common) to set fitness goals out of a place of discomfort or distaste for something in our lives.
So, when we decide to set a new fitness goal it’s more often rooted in "something is negative and I want to change it" - (i.e., I don't like my body, I want to lose weight, I want to look better) - rather than focusing on "I want to bring this new, positive thing into my life".
There's an often-quoted fitness mantra that goes,
“Workout because you love your body, not because you hate it.”
If you're wanting to improve upon your current fitness level or start working towards a healthier and stronger you, keep the above in mind and make it your mantra too!
So what's your JOY?
Start changing your mindset today and get closer to achieving your goals by writing down your joy & practicing gratitude.
We'll help you practice joy daily and find moments of gratitude in the MBODY app! If you need a little nudge from time to time, you can even set push notification reminders for workout days so we'll be there to encourage you to get it done!
Don't forget that on the app you also get access to loads of tailored information that's designed to help combat current symptoms with our daily check-in. And guess what? That knowledge can help get you closer to your goals too!
So, you make the commitment to your health and fitness in 2023 and we'll be there with expert-led exercises and fresh ways to keep you motivated.
We want to hear from you! Share a photo on Instagram of what brings you joy and tag @mbody.official.
Be sure to check out workouts tailored to fit your current activity level, gratitude practices, and more on the MBODY app — available on the App Store and Google Play Store today!
