Everyone has heard about the physical benefits of exercise: weight loss, improved stamina, increased lifespan, and much more.  But did you know that it can have as much benefit to your mental health as well?  Not only does exercise make your body work better, it makes you feel better too.  These are just a few ways exercise can help you live a happier life.

Boosts your energy.  A sedentary lifestyle can make you feel fatigued.  When you work your muscles with regular exercise, you feel more energized and ready to face the day.  Exercising also helps you have a more restful sleep and fall asleep faster.  This will leave you feeling rested when you wake up in the morning.  Regularly working your muscles also makes them less likely to fatigue with normal activity. 

Helps relieve stress.  Many people know the endorphins from exercise make you feel better and have a better outlook on life, but exercise can also provide a time for reflection; further easing a stressful life.  Many of us don’t have time alone without thoughts to contemplate our problems.  Some types of exercise, such as running, can provide time to think about the day and sort out problems.

Improves self esteem.  After a workout, most people feel that they’ve accomplished something.  This makes you feel that you’re worth something and improves how you feel about yourself.  In return, feeling like you can accomplish things makes you more likely to work out again, this is one great cycle to get into.

Increased social interaction.  Being social and having friends is an important part of leading a happy life.  Exercise can be used to stay in touch with old friends by scheduling regular walks or runs.  It can be also used to meet new friends at the gym or through sports.  These kinds of activities can make you feel accepted and loved; making you feel much better.

If you’re wondering if the effects of exercise will change the way you feel, consider this: many doctors and therapists recommend exercise as part of their treatment for anxiety or depression.  If exercise is powerful enough to combat depression, think what it can do to improve your life.

Are late night snacks keeping you from losing weight?  Some studies have shown that healthy and overweight individuals tend to eat the same number of calories during the day.  At night, however, overweight individuals tend to eat a lot more calories.  Eating at night is just easier to do; we feel less inhibited because we tend to be alone.  We are also less busy than other times of day.  If you want to lose weight, you need to find ways to curb late night hunger.  Here are a few suggestions.

Do something else.  Unless you’re starving, you probably eat at night because you’re bored.  If you feel the need to snack, try doing something else to occupy your mind.  Go for a walk or read a book; you’ll soon forget that you were ever hungry

Eat more calories during the day.  Even if you’re trying to cut calories, eating too little during the day will make you more likely to binge at night.  Eating 1500 calories during the day and being satisfied at night is better than eating 1300 calories during the day and munching down on a 500 calorie snack at night.  Try to eat the bulk of your calories earlier in the day and have a light dinner and maybe a fruit for an evening snack.

Go to bed.  If you get the urge to eat shortly before you go to bed, just go to bed early.  Not only will this keep you from snacking; people who get enough sleep at night tend to eat less calories during the day. 

Eat at a table.  No matter what you eat during the day, treat all eating events like meals.  We tend to eat while we’re doing other things like watching TV or sitting at the computer.  Eat all your food sitting at your kitchen or dining room table and don’t distract yourself.  You’ll likely eat less.

Snack healthy.  If you must snack late at night, think about what you eat.  Instead of grabbing a bag of chips, get out some carrots or yogurt.  Go for high fiber and protein which take longer to digest and keep you feeling full longer.  It’s also important to eat portioned snacks.  This way you probably won’t eat several portions at a time.

These are just a few tips to get you started.  Just remember if you make a decision to eat less at night and stick to it you will see results.