Exercise isn’t just about looking good, it’s all about feeling good as well. While the aesthetic benefits are a definite bonus when it comes to incorporating regular exercise to your life, there are so many other ways it can really change your life for the better. Here are the top 5 reasons why exercise will change your life!
1. Improves your physical health
One of the best and most important reasons why exercise will change your life is because it’ll extend it! There are an array of health benefits such as reducing the risk of heart disease and diabetes, managing insulin, improving circulation and oxygen flow throughout the body and the list goes on.
Even going for a walk every day increases the amount of physical activity in your life and can change your body for the better. The more you exercise, the more time you have to enjoy the benefits that come with it.
2. Improves your mental health
It isn’t just the physical benefits that matter, but also your mental health. Fortunately, exercise has that covered as well. Have you ever walked in the gym in a bad mood but left feeling much happier? Exercise releases endorphins in the body which helps you let go of any negative feelings you may have and replaces them with good ones. Not only that, you can let out any anger or stress during your workout. There are different types of fitness that you can do to, depending on your mood and what you’re looking for. Boxing classes can get that frustration out while yoga can help you find your inner peace and zen.
Studies have also shown that it can lessen the symptoms of depression and anxiety. In these cases, focusing on the frequency of exercise, as opposed to the duration or intensity is a good start. While there are other factors that play a part in reducing the effects of depression and anxiety, exercise is a big contributing element as well.
3. Improves your functional fitness
Exercise will help make everyday tasks so much easier. With better balance, strength, fitness and coordination, you’ll find that day-to-day responsibilities will be a piece of cake. Need to carry all those groceries from your car to your kitchen? No problem! Elevator broken and you need to climb those 5 flights of stairs instead? You’ve got it covered. You’ll even be able to keep up with your kid’s endless bundles of energy so much longer as well.
Not only that, learning the proper technique for certain movements such as the squat or deadlift can help you execute tasks that mimic these exercises with a decreased risk of injury.
4. Improves your sleep
Who doesn’t want a better nights sleep? Sleeping is such an important part of life and yet it is one of the aspects where people suffer from the most. But not if you include regular exercise.
“We have solid evidence that exercise does, in fact, help you fall asleep more quickly and improves sleep quality,” says Charlene Gamaldo, M.D. , medical director of Johns Hopkins Center for Sleep at Howard County General Hospital. You just have to be careful about when you exercise. Some people find that exercising too close to your bedtime can have a detrimental effect on your sleep quality instead. So experiment and see which works best for you. Anywhere from the morning to late afternoon is ideal.
5. Improves your social life
Sure, exercise comes with great physical and mental benefits, but it also comes with great social ones too! It can be really fun. By joining a class or club, you’ll most likely run into the same people often and soon enough (if you regularly attend), you have a new group of friends.
Exercise is an incredibly rewarding activity that can change your life for the better. By improving your physical health, mental well being, social life and also, of course, your aesthetics, there are all too many reasons why you should include physical activity in your daily life.
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Article courtesy of:
Emily Trinh
"A powerlifter by day and a writer by night, Emily Trinh has a passion for all things health, fitness, and writing—which makes her profession as a health and fitness writer quite fitting.”
