What Is the Mind-Body Connection

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If you have ever ridden your electric beach cruiser far from home to find both your mood and spirit elevated, you have experienced the power of the mind-body connection.

In truth, the use of the term “mind-body connection” is somewhat misleading. While modern society often struggles to educate workers and students on healthy lifestyle and exercise choices, the mind and the body are not actually separate entities. Here are a few key points to help you harness your mind-body connection:

The Mind-Body Connection Isn’t Just About Exercise

In the same way that your body can influence your thoughts, your thoughts can influence your body. Consider a time when you received especially good news. You may have felt ecstatically happy, even though you did no exercise to physically change the state of your body. This concept applies to both positive and negative experiences. In fact, it is not necessary for someone else to tell you something for your body to change as a result. Your own thoughts can have this effect if you allow them to control your emotions. While thought patterns are often formed in childhood, meditation can allow you to be more conscious of your positive and negative thoughts.

Exercises that Incorporate Nature and Cardiovascular Health Are Among the Best for Your Mood

Sometimes, when you are feeling down, exercise is the last thing you want to do. This, however, is exactly why you should exercise. By telling your body that exercise is what you are going to do, you are essentially tricking your mind into following your body’s lead. After a long session or ride, you are likely to feel significantly better. Recently, science has found that nature can have an additive effect on the benefits of outdoor exercise, so biking in a park or on a scenic route is one of the best activities you can do for your mental health. If you are new to riding a bike, try an electric bike that can help you pedal for a portion of your trip. There are currently many ways to buy an electric bike online that don’t require excessive in-store shopping.

A Key Component in Your Connection With Your Body is Your Understanding

When you do not properly care for your body, you may find that the activities you seek out are not the ones that are the best for your long-term health. Some depressed people, for example, disproportionately seek out alcohol, despite the fact that alcohol can actually worsen depression. When you learn to understand the signals that your body sends you, you can act according to your true best interest. Always ask yourself: what is the best thing for my body in this moment?

The sooner in life, you learn to understand your mind-body connection, the more efficiently you can pull yourself out of rough patches or negative places. As you develop healthy habits, they eventually become self-reinforcing, leading eventually to greater longevity and happiness. The next time you are feeling down, grab your comfort bicycle and see for yourself the difference that a ride in nature can have on your spirit.