Not only does working out make you look great and increases physical health – exercise is also mentally beneficial too. Releasing positive endorphins and creating a simple focus, getting moving works wonders to foster a positive attitude and these 5 celebrities say they’ve come to think of their workout time as a way to mentally boost themselves. Enjoying that time alone to simply concentrate of themselves and let their problems slide away, these stars find working out makes them feel more upbeat even if it’s a lot of work too.
Alicia Keys
Alicia loves to forget everything besides her workout and enjoys that focus: “I really enjoy actually training. I like the focus of it, I like the mental side of it and I like running. I like when it’s warm, if I can just hit a city block or hit a block, it gives me something to really concentrate on. And it’s time alone, so I really like that a lot.”
Heather loves the rush of endorphins she gets from a workout: “When I’m working 16-hour days and I can’t work out, I get angry very easily. It’s because I’m missing all those good endorphins. For me, exercise equals happiness.”
Nicole finds working out gives her a healthy attitude towards her day: “[Exercise] changes everything about how I approach my day and helps me go about life with confidence—that’s the main reason I do it. It gives me clarity and makes me feel stronger. It’s not so much for the physical and vanity side of it. I do it more for the emotional and mental strength it gives me.”
Olivia uses it as a type of meditation: “Exercise was transformed for me when I saw it as me-time and not a chore. Like a lot of people, I used to see working out as a way to get my body in shape and look good, but now I think it’s more about self-love than anything else. I can turn off my phone and stop my mind whirring. It’s the one time I get close to a form of meditation.”
Vanessa Hudgens
Vanessa loves how it makes her feel: “Exercise is so amazing from the inside out. I feel so alive and have so much energy.”