Sport has given me moments of maximum happiness, moments that have awakened strength, joy, serenity.
Moments where extreme fatigue meets freedom. Moments to share effort and much more. Moments where the authentic, full smile emerges.
Happiness is that moment in which you feel that something great is going to come.
But these moments don't just happen, by chance. Behind it is a daily work directed to an end and focused on values. There is an attitude to life, there are a lot of small decisions. There are many hours of training that generate habits.
Every day I meet people who want to exercise, they are aware of all the benefits it brings them and they know that they feel better. But, there is no way to start, to link two weeks in a row, to find motivation. Other people do not dare, they do not know how to start, they are afraid of not being able to, what others will say ...
What habits can we review and link with sport so that it lasts and brings us happiness?
Finding the balance between effort and rest is vital for athletic performance. It is something that I have been able to feel first-hand in my career as a triathlete and marathoner. But, What difference do we find between an athlete who seeks his maximum performance and a person on the street who seeks his maximum professional-personal fulfillment?
Everyone deserves their rest, their hours of sleep. That is why sleep becomes vital and necessary for all people..
Regular physical exercise can help us regulate sleep and solve insomnia problems.
A study carried out by the University of Oregon and published in the journal "Mental Health and Physical Activity" pointed out that people who practice about 2.5 hours a week of physical activity enjoyed a better quality of sleep. Exercise not only helped them sleep better, it also contributed to them feeling less tired during the day, compared to people with a more sedentary profile.
What type of exercise can help us sleep better? Are there sports or exercises that can work as a natural remedy against insomnia more than others?
Activities with a relaxing component may be more appropriate, but more than the type of physical activity we practice, the time we choose to do it matters much more..
We must avoid practicing medium-high intensity exercise shortly before going to bed. I recommend leaving at least 2 hours of margin.
From here I encourage you to find your best moment for your sport, according to your availability and preferences..
Choosing your moment and your activity well are the keys to being constant. You can walk, pedal or run in the middle of the afternoon, more gently as night approaches. Doing a stretching routine or gym exercises at home are good options too..
ADVICE: define your schedule for your sport, stick to it for a week and note how you sleep (number of hours and quality of sleep)
Feeling good about the future is scientifically proven to be important to our happiness.
We all need goals that are challenging enough to motivate us to get excited, but at the same time, our goals must be achievable.
What are your goals with your sport? Are they motivating and achievable enough?
Searching for a specific, achievable and challenging goal will increase the likelihood of success.
Scientific research shows that the simple act of planning these objectives generate a feeling of positivism on a day-to-day basis.
For example planning a race or a trip in which you go to practice your sport, or a bike ride or to the mountains on the weekend.
In another study, simply thinking about an upcoming rewarding experience (having fun cycling with friends) was shown to raise your endorphin levels by 27% and reduce your stress levels. Endorphins are the hormones responsible for the feeling of euphoria and joy.
Choose a practice that fills you with rewarding and satisfying experiences.
Having achievable goals and planning it realistically is a way to be happy in the present tense.
ADVICE: write down all the goals and objectives that occur to you with your sport, and select the two that stimulate you the most.
Sometimes we focus our thoughts on great things that we want to achieve and that we believe will make us happy. Sports successes or ambitious career goals. And we forget the little things.
And what happens when the result is not what is expected? Sometimes we athletes indulge in feelings of anger, guilt towards others, complaint and constant dissatisfaction with what we do.
We do not value what was achieved that day, what we have, what we are, what we contribute to others. And we are already thinking about the next competition, before perhaps stopping to think. And then, Where is that happiness?
I discover that it is in the little things of every day that often go unnoticed: the look of the person who loves you, the smile of your children, the thanks of a colleague, good morning, appreciating the sunrise, enjoying a ride in company, or alone. In thanking life for being the way I am and having what I have.
Stopping and observing everything we already have and thanking it is one of the best ways to value our present and feel more satisfied with who we are and what we have. It is a simple strategy that leads us towards an improvement in the feeling of daily happiness.
ADVICE: Before going to sleep think or write down 3 things for which you are grateful. They can be very important things like your family, friends or a baby on the way, but they can also be quite common things like eating your favorite ice cream, your bed, or the simple fact of having air in your lungs.
Scientific studies have proven that smiling releases endorphins, serotonin and other natural pain relievers that our body produces. Smiling has also been associated with reduced levels of stress hormones.
The smile has been my great ally running Marathon. Critical moments arrive where fatigue takes over the body and the mind is blocked in negative thoughts.
And I find that I smile, and my legs don't hurt so much anymore. The smile makes me forget the stopwatch, and the stride flows.
I smile, and beautiful images arrive, I go to a calm and fun situation. And positive thoughts come.
I smile and feel strength, and serenity. The kilometers pass. I know I'm going to finish. And I hold onto that thought ...
If the smile is capable of generating strength and clarity in these moments of hard physical effort? What would happen if we make smiling a daily habit?
In sad or difficult moments, smiling helps to relax areas of the body that are tense, to generate body control, to relativize the situation, to focus from humor ... And it turns out that fatigue or discomfort dissipates.
Experts have found that smiling frequently makes us happier and activates brain regions related to positive affects and rewards, such as the temporal lobe of the left hemisphere.
ADVICE: try to smile a little more even on sad days: you will start to feel better.
Learning to control your thoughts is a skill to enhance your inner happiness. An effective way to train this super power is by meditating.
Meditation is an important habit to improve concentration and decrease stress.
Meditating takes practice, it literally clears your mind and puts you at ease. It has been proven to be an effective way to be happy and feel better..
New research in neuroscience has found that people who meditate regularly literally change their brain structure.
Your exercise time can be a form of meditation, to give your mind a break. Stretching, joint mobility and body control exercises linked to your breathing can become a way to meditate, relax and improve your body awareness.
ADVICE: try relaxing your mind 2-3 minutes by bringing your attention to your breathing while doing a calm exercise such as stretching, mobilizing your joints, walking, running or pedaling gently.
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