Don\u2019t just count your reps, count your blessings! Science says that giving thanks can do a lot more than change your outlook; it can benefit your body, health and even the number on the scale. Read on for the crazy-awesome perks of practicing gratitude, plus tips to cultivate more of it.<\/p>\n
Giving thanks can get you to the gym \u2014 and keep you going. A study by the University of California, Davis, found that gratitude-givers exercised an average of 1.5 hours more per week.<\/p>\n
Bonus!<\/strong> Think of exercise as a gift you\u2019ve been given rather than a chore you must do, and you\u2019ll be less likely to fall off the workout wagon.<\/p>\n Forget sheep; count your blessings! According to a study published in Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being, spending just 15 minutes a night jotting down grateful sentiments can make you sleep better and longer.<\/p>\n Bonus!<\/strong> Better sleep means more workout hours logged and less cravings.<\/p>\n \u201cGratitude is good medicine,\u201d says Robert Emmons, Ph.D., psychology professor at the University of California, Davis, author of Thanks!: How Practicing Gratitude Can Make You Happier. Studies have linked the practice of gratitude to lower blood pressure, lower levels of bad cholesterol and even improved immune function.<\/p>\n Bonus! <\/strong>When a person expresses gratitude, they\u2019re more likely to care about their health and even get regular checkups.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re agonizing over whether to eat that slice of chocolate cake, gratitude could help bolster your self-control. In one study, psychologists from Northeastern University found that writing about a grateful experience can help us think long term rather than focus on instant gratification. \u201cGrateful people are less likely to make rash, hasty decisions they will later regret,\u201d Emmons says.<\/p>\n Bonus!<\/strong> Keeping a gratitude journal can cut your fat intake, keeping you on the road to shaping the physique you want.<\/p>\n When your inner slacker kicks in, the last thing you want to do is hit the gym. The antidote could be gratitude. One study found that those who regularly wrote down things they were grateful for reported higher energy levels and increased life satisfaction.<\/p>\n Bonus!<\/strong> Gratitude is contagious. You not only reap the rewards but so do those around you.<\/p>\n Pick up that pen! People who keep a gratitude journal report being 25 percent happier. Writing a letter also can get the good vibes flowing. In a University of Pennsylvania study, writing and delivering a gratitude letter had a positive impact on happiness one month later.<\/p>\n Bonus! <\/strong>Practicing gratitude has also been shown to fend off stress, anxiety and depression.<\/p>\n Here are some more ways to increase your thankfulness.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t just count your reps, count your blessings! Science says that giving thanks can do a lot more than change your outlook; it can benefit your body, health and even the number on the scale. Read on for the crazy-awesome perks of practicing gratitude, plus tips to cultivate more of it. Exercise More Giving thanks can get you to the gym \u2014 and keep you going. A study by the University of California, Davis, found that gratitude-givers exercised an average of 1.5 hours more per week. Bonus! Think of exercise as a gift you\u2019ve been given rather than a chore […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2594,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[114,290,204,205,206,203,207],"class_list":["post-2593","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-womens-health","tag-healthy-living","tag-mind-body","tag-mind-and-body","tag-motivation","tag-style-and-beauty","tag-womens-fitness-personalities","tag-womens-health","post--single"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/high-end-life.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2593","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/high-end-life.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/high-end-life.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/high-end-life.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/high-end-life.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2593"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/high-end-life.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2593\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2962,"href":"https:\/\/high-end-life.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2593\/revisions\/2962"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/high-end-life.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2594"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/high-end-life.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2593"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/high-end-life.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2593"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/high-end-life.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2593"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Sleep Better<\/h2>\n
You\u2019re Grateful \u2014 Say It!<\/h2>\n
Boost Willpower<\/h2>\n
Improve Energy<\/h2>\n
Put It in Writing<\/h2>\n
Get Your Gratitude On!<\/h2>\n
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