How Exercise Can Increase Self-Control

September 28, 2017

If impulsive eating is a problem for you, The New York Times suggests that regular physical exercise may help you find the mental self-restraint necessary to say no to snacking or overeating. The Times cited a small study that looked at how participants were better able to shore up their self-control when they were actively involved in jogging and walking programs coupled with coaching sessions. The effects lasted as much as a month after the program ended.

There is no denying that your brain and the rest of your body work synergistically for the benefit — or detriment — of your overall health and well-being, so the featured study results are not surprising. Ideally, though, you would include your gut health in the package, as a healthy gut works as a pathway to your brain and, ultimately, your body. Trillions of bacteria live in your gut, influencing your body's homeostasis daily.

Far from being restricted to the confines of your intestinal tract, your gut microbiota is intricately tied to other body systems via a number of complex pathways, including the gut-brain axis and a recently revealed gut-brain-bone marrow axis, the latter of which may influence your blood pressure, mood and more. One good way to treat your gut well is to eat plenty of fermented foods, such as lassi, grass fed kefir, natto and fermented vegetables.

Next, since your mental health is so closely linked to your physical health, choose a good exercise program such as high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and strength training. HIIT allows you to significantly improve your health and fitness in mere minutes per week — and just as effectively as 150 minutes of other moderate exercises. With a shorter time frame, HIIT can help you stick to a regular exercise program.

If you need a milder form of exercise, yoga and tai chi are also good exercises that boost levels of potent brain chemicals like serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine, which may help with mental well-being.

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