When you think of "exercises to boost confidence" most of us think of mental techniques or power posing. But did you know that physical workouts can do wonders to enhance your confidence? By getting in shape, losing weight, and growing stronger, you'll find yourself feeling better—not just physically, but emotionally and mentally as well. A fitness boost can lead to a drastic boost in confidence!
Here are a few workouts that'll boost your confidence in no time.
Sprint Training
A lot of us have known since we were children or teenagers that we were never going to be the fastest in a foot race. There were always classmates, friends, or siblings that could beat us without breaking a sweat.
As adults, you don't have to settle for that! Sprint training is one of the best workouts to boost your confidence. Not only will it increase your sprint speed—you'll get faster over time as you improve your sprint posture and lower body strength—but your stamina (on the race track and in the bedroom) will increase thanks to your enhanced cardiovascular conditioning. A few months of regular sprint training can lead to marked differences in your running speed overall.
Bodyweight Training
"Feeling fat" is one of the harshest confidence killers and one of the most common. When you're feeling heavy, sluggish, and slow, it's nearly impossible to feel good about yourself.
Bodyweight training proves that you are a lot stronger and fitter than you thought. When you can do push-ups, pull-ups, bodyweight squats, lunges, jumping jacks, crunches, and planks, you begin to feel better about yourself. Bodyweight training also helps to increase mobility, improve your ease of movement, and boost energy levels. Over time, your activities of daily life get easier because you're able to carry around your body weight. Talk about a confidence boost!
Max Weight Training
Many people go to the gym because they want to feel stronger and more powerful. The more you can lift, the more powerful you feel, right?
Max weight training (using 95 to 100 percent of your 1-Rep Max Weight) isn't going to lead to long-term strength gains, but it can be a short-term solution to mix into your regular routine. If you have reached a plateau in your regular resistance training, using super heavy weights will help you see how far you've come in the last months or years. You'll realize you've grown stronger thanks to your training!
Running/Jogging
How many times have you looked at someone running or jogging in the park, by the ocean, or at the gym and thought "I wish I could do that"? Well, the truth is that you can!
Anyone can jog—it just takes time and effort to build up to the necessary cardiovascular conditioning. You may be the slowest runner on the road, but at least you're running or jogging. Given time, your speed will increase, you'll be able to run longer, and you'll enjoy it more. Being able to say, "I'm a runner!" will be a huge confidence booster.
Team Sports
Playing team sports is one of the best confidence-boosters. Not only will it help you to feel like part of a team, but you'll be able to make new friends. You'll also learn what your strengths are, and you can use those strengths to contribute to a team victory. Winning at sports makes you feel like a winner everywhere else as well!
If you want to increase your confidence, give these five workouts a try. Though you won't feel the difference right away, in time, you'll find they cause visible changes in the way you feel about yourself and your life.
[Image via Shutterstock]
