Is the gym only good for physical therapy? Or does it also help with mental therapy? As I wrote in my previous posts, the first time I went to the gym, I was looking for a solution to deal with my anxiety and not for a solution to lose weight (even though I knew I was obese).

Following the first 2-3 weeks, although I knew I still had a long way to go, I could already feel more (mentally) stable, relaxed and in control of myself. That was the moment I realised that I was on the right path and that the gym was actually the therapy I needed. Not only I was improving my mental health but I was also improving my health in general!

I could see myself changing from a person who was more comfortable socialising from behind a screen (I used to feel too insecure) to a more outgoing person. I was socialising more with people face to face and ended up making more friends. What was going on? Suddenly the gym turned from a place that scared me into a place I wanted to visit 24 hours a day.

The first 3 months were very important for me as during this period I obtained impressive results which encouraged me to love the gym more that I ever did. I wanted this more than ever! Whilst the exercise itself helped me relax, the fact that I was losing weight gave me more confidence in myself and it also helped with my self esteem.

In other words, from my experience I can confirm that exercise did help me with my mental therapy (not just physical) and it was the best therapy I could have ever had. I am more relaxed and focused than I’ve ever been.