You know exercise is important, but do you feel like it’s a drag? Do you feel like you are having to make a huge commitment that will take up your valuable time when you could be doing something else… which is more fun for you? If so, that shouldn’t be how you are thinking. You should not think of exercise as a mandatory commitment, but as a wise and healthy choice.
You also need to stop thinking there’s a minimum requirement you have to meet. Instead, think of exercise as something fun to do, and know that you have the freedom to choose how you move your body.
Start Moving & Reap the Following Benefits
Exercise is simply moving your body every day. It has huge benefits to your body literally from head to toe. If you’re looking for a bit more motivation to start exercising, here are some of the benefits of moving your body every day:
Burn More Calories and Lose Weight
Whatever you eat, your body needs to burn, otherwise, it will store the excess as fat. Exercise improves your metabolism, allowing you to use up the food you eat. Moving your body helps burn calories and prevent too much fat from being stored. When you engage in physical activities, you burn energy. This is taken firstly from your blood sugar and lastly from your fat stores.
Increased Energy Levels
Physical activities improve your energy levels by improving blood and oxygen circulation in the body and your cardiovascular health. It also triggers the body to release endorphins, which boost your energy and enthusiasm.
Reduce Stress and Get Better Sleep
Exercise helps you get a restful sleep at night, so you’ll wake up more refreshed the next day. When you’re physically active during the day, your energy depletes, making you feel sleepy and stimulating recuperative processes when you sleep.
Exercise also improves your mood, reduces your stress, and relieves anxiety. When your stress levels are low, you sleep better.
Stronger Bones and Muscles
As you age, it’s natural to lose some of your bone mass, but with regular exercise, you can keep your bones and muscles stronger and prevent a premature decline in your bone health. Bones are living tissue and they respond to the impact of weight-bearing by improving bone density.
The same is true with your muscles. Physical inactivity will cause you to lose muscle and weaken your body. The more you use your muscles by moving around and exercising, the stronger they become. It also improves your balance, flexibility, and coordination.
Better Cognitive Health and Improved Mood
Moving your body improves your brain health. You will have better cognitive performance. Exercise improves your memory and concentration.
Exercise makes the body release endorphins, which are responsible for making you feel happy, calm, and relaxed. These chemicals also help relieve pain and boost your immune system. When you have a good sense of well-being, you’re in a good mood.
Exercise helps deliver oxygen and nutrients to the brain, stimulating the growth of new brain cells. While cognitive health declines as you age, you can prevent it from happening prematurely.
Reduced Risks of Chronic Diseases
This one is a given. We all know exercise promotes good health and reduces the risk of disease. Moving your body improves your physical health, which also reduces your risks of developing many chronic diseases.
If you engage in physical activities regularly, you have better insulin sensitivity, heart health, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels. Exercise also reduces your risk of developing type 2 diabetes and improves your immune system. When you have a strong immune system, your body can fight off infections and diseases.
Reduced Pain
When you’re in pain, you probably don’t want to move, but that will only make things worse. Moving your body more can reduce the pain you feel now in the future. It improves blood circulation, prevents joint stiffness and muscle tightness, and reduces inflammation.
Exercise helps cut the pain-signaling loop with the brain as it triggers the release of serotonin and opioids in the central nervous system. It reduces your pain perception and increases your pain tolerance.
Moving your body every day has a range of benefits to your physical and mental health. If you’ve been living a sedentary lifestyle, it’s time to break free from physical inactivity. Remember, exercise doesn’t have to be a complicated commitment. Do something you love. Go dancing, running, hiking, or swimming. Every small move counts.
