Some people enjoy exercise just because it is exercise; they do not think deeply about why they enjoy it so much. They just know that it is enjoyable and that it makes them feel good.

Much research has been carried out as to why exercise makes you feel good. Scientific research has proven that when you exercise your brain releases endorphins which provide a feel good factor.

Even walking on a tread mill in a gym has been shown to lift your mood and assist in combating depression. Personally, I find this type of exercise quite boring, and I'm sure many of you are with me on this. But even if you find it boring, it is undeniable that exercise does lift your mood.

Many people become quite addicted to exercise for this reason and also because exercise is linked to a boost in self esteem. You feel more confident and have a greater sense of achievement. Exercise is in fact one of the simplest ways in which you can work to build your self-esteem. You feel good about yourself when you set yourself a task and subsequently complete that task. What could be easier than setting yourself a goal of going for a walk and then doing it?

Exercise of any description undeniably lifts your mood and increases your self-esteem. These effects are enhanced of course when the exercise that you are doing is something which you like to do. You might like to play tennis, or swim, do some gardening or walk the dog. All exercise is beneficial.

I like to play golf. For me golf has a huge number of plusses. I enjoy the walk, be it alone or with fellow golfers, and I also like the mental challenges which the game itself provides. But most of all I love being in a place of beauty, and golf courses do tend to be beautiful. I love the smell of the grass and the trees, the colors of the flowers, the criss-cross patterns on the fairways when they have just been cut, the water and the wild-life. I love being outside and in touch with nature.

Being outside in a place which is natural in itself is a mood enhancer. This too has been proven in scientific research. It makes good sense that there would be added benefit when you combine the two. We know that 2+2=4.

Exercise + nature = Green exercise

Green exercise is the term coined for exercise which is carried out when in the presence of nature. There has been some recent research into this subject (Jo Barton, Jules Pretty. What is the Best Dose of Nature and Green Exercise for Improving Mental Health? A Multi-Study Analysis. Environmental Science & Technology, 2010) which shows that there is indeed an increased or added benefit in terms of mood and self-esteem. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of this research is that the boost in both mood and self-esteem occurred within a very short time frame - just 5 minutes.

And so we now know that we can boost our self-esteem and lift our mood in as little as five minutes by doing something as simple as taking a walk in a place which is green and natural. That should be a great motivator to us all to get out and exercise. There was another interesting finding; being near water as well as green leaves and grass could benefit us even more. No wonder I love golf courses so much!

Roseanna Leaton, specialist in hypnosis mp3s for self-esteem, exercise motivation and golf mind training.

P.S. Are you curious about the many ways in which hypnosis can help you? Grab a free hypnosis mp3 from my website.