Want to Be More Confident? Get Active!

Living a healthy lifestyle takes a lot of self discipline. The good news is, the greater the challenge, the more reward you get!

The premise is, if you can be successful in one area of your life, then you feel confident taking on other challenges. By living a healthy life you get a real sense that you can accomplish anything. Success breeds success in other words. You're more likely to set and reach your goals, and to rebound from failure.

Living healthy also lowers your risk of depression according to a 2007 study published in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine. Exercise is an active behavior, and active behaviors (versus sedentary ones) lead to a feeling of accomplishment. Studies also show that from a physical standpoint, exercise can greatly reduce anxiety. in fact, the study authors argued that workouts and clean eating (specifically a diet high in omega 3 fatty acids) can be a prescription to treat depression and anxiety.

When we're stressed, our body releases both adrenaline and cortisol. We need some cortisol to build muscle tissue, but too much can lead to a number of problems including lower immune system, weight gain (particularly increased belly fat) and general malaise.

Clean eating and working out is important to balance cortisol levels and keep them in check. You feel less stressed mentally and your body actually is less stressed - win win for you!