Respect my self: “Self-evaluation; appreciation or consideration for himself. Physical activity can directly or indirectly improve this evaluation. Looking good in the mirror is one reason, but there are many others that we will describe below.
High self-esteem It promotes mental development and plays a prominent role in a person’s thoughts, feelings, and goals. People with higher levels of self-esteem Positively evaluate themselves And they have a positive attitude towards themselves.
It gives us self-respect Homeland security and confidence in ourselves, which make us feel we deserve and deserve good things. On the contrary, low self-esteem makes us feel so Inferior and frustrating when faced with challenges.
There are several ways to improve self-esteem According to science. One of them is Physical activity as it helps us to raise our mental and physical strengthIt is directly related to quality of life.
Self-concept: the axis
Physical activity It can help people achieve a positive self-concept And enhance psychological well-being through Improve bodily perceptions and body satisfaction.
We must first bear this in mind Reality is neutral and we build it. An example of this is when we watch a football match, being from one team, and the person we see is from the other team. When our team scores a goal, we will cheer and celebrate, but our teammate will be disappointed. The opposite will happen when the other team scores the goal.
I am with you two watching the game, I do not watch football, I’ll see something neutral on the outside: I won’t be happy and I won’t be discouraged. This is why ultimately self-esteem doesn’t depend on the perfect body or on being the best at doing something. Our evaluation and judgment is based on How do we notice our capabilities.
This is The difference between self-concept and self-esteem, related terms, but not synonyms. Self-concept is our view of ourselves, we judge ourselves. In this case the goal will be in football. Self-esteem is the assessment we give of self-concept, that is, how we react to a goal.
If we give youIn the high degree of our self-concept, self-esteem is high. If we give our self-concept a low score, our self-esteem is a bad thing. This is why improving self-esteem goes beyond just waking up one day and feeling fulfilled through magic. It is an external and internal function.
Improving body composition through physical activity is one of the factors that benefit our self-esteem. Physical activity is beneficial not only for improving body composition, but also Strengthening the neural mechanisms What are they doing We judge ourselves positively (self-concept) and value ourselves more (self-esteem).
Areas related to self-esteem that improve with physical activity
Mental health: anxiety, stress and mood
The Psychological health has become The problem of public health among young people around the world, Being 20% of teens Those that show some change in this branch of health. Physical activity is an important strategy for preventing and treating problems Psychological health.
It is caused by a physiological or personal part, and a social or personal part. In this case we are talking about the inner part, with ourselves. In the following sections we will focus on the personal side, with others.
Anxiety, depression, stress, anger, tension, negative moods and low self-esteem are conditions that can be linked together. Physical activity reduces low self-esteem s Mood improves for him Curative effect Emotionally positive.
Physical activity results differently Useful mechanisms for self-esteem in the brain, where our moods are controlled and our image as people is projected. a The last revision this year It shows how moderate to vigorous physical activity is inversely related to the chances of experiencing depression.
Moreover, both Resistance training, like strength, stimulates our hormonal system makes us Feeling relaxed and relieved of stress. If our mood is positive and we shun anxiety and stress thanks to physical activity, then our self-esteem is likely to be elevated.
Social attachment and group affiliation
In addition to those physiological mechanisms from the inside out, Physical activity connects us with others and distracts us. Try to have two ideas at the same time, at one time. When we are distracted by physical activity and with others, it becomes even more complicated to get our minds occupied with some thoughts that undermine our self-esteem.
However, what happens if we are alone on the sofa? We definitely have More time and “space” in our minds to receive negative thoughts Than it was in the previous case, where we are allowed to occupy and socialize Evade and have a positive frame of mind.
Self-efficacy: a sense of accomplishment and a better awareness of our qualities.
Participate in physical activities It increases our self-efficacy: We believe we can accomplish specific tasks. It’s a feedback loop where we do something, achieve it, and we think we’ll be able to do something else, achieve it … and so forth. Our self-efficacy and self-esteem grow.
This studio Is an example where Elite athletes with a very high level of competition showed a higher degree of self-esteem than those who were not athletes. Success in any field, such as sports in this case, can lead to an increase in confidence in the performance of various tasks.
Body image: Improved body composition and perception
It is one of Most influencing factors In psychological well-being, but we’ve already seen that he’s not the only one. Feeling comfortable with our bodies produces general positive emotions, but being dissatisfied with them causes us to judge ourselves harshly. (Self-concept) and what We give ourselves very negative feedback (low self-esteem).
We have already commented that the adolescent population displays excessively high levels of alterations Psychological health. Our body, and the judgment we make of it, directly affects our self-esteem at all agesBut in adolescence it acquires vital importance.
Physical activity is the key to improving body composition, aided by correct eating and a healthy lifestyle. Several investigations Those who associate physical activity with a better awareness of body image and increased self-satisfaction.
It is recommended Establish physical activity as a habit for better self-esteem, Since both the effects on our body image, as well as all of the benefits mentioned above stop occurring if we stop doing so. A group of adolescents with obesity Improve his self-concept thanks to a training programBut those who did not continue to be physically active afterwards got worse in this regard.
In Vetonica | When your body is not what you see in the mirror: This is how body dysmorphic disorder works
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