Strength training provides more than just losing fat and getting muscles. Running a couple miles daily provides benefits that go beyond improved speed, longer endurance, and the addition of a nice set of legs. In fact, those who exercise regularly on a weekly basis will experience benefits that the majority of people wouldn’t expect to come from exercising. Allow me to give you 14 reasons to start exercising immediately.
1. Improved mental performance & productivity.
As you get older, you’re at a higher risk to develop dementia, which affects memory, thinking, speech, judgment, and behavior. Whether you prefer to run or weight train, exercising helps when it comes to preventing memory loss. Partaking in sweat sessions helps with the production of cells in our hippocampus, which is responsible for memory and learning. The hippocampus shrinks as we get older which explains the decrease in memory and increased chances for dementia. By exercising regularly, you can actually increase the size of the hippocampus according to this research study and therefore help prevent the chances of dementia from occurring.
2. Improve your everyday stance.
Do you suffer from rounded shoulders or back pain? If so, it’s probably due to not exercising and prolonged sitting. According to this study, people who sat for 11 hours or more a day had a 40% increased risk of dying in the next three years. Good posture starts with daily stretching and exercising. Make sure to take breaks from prolonged sitting and move around. Here’s an article that discusses posture and goes into depth with how to correct it.
3. You’ll feel like a million bucks.
Exercising regularly helps improve your self-esteem and self-image. It’s not about what kind or how much exercising you’re doing, confidence is increased by simply being active. Exercising has a myriad of benefits for those who are prone to depression. No matter your age, weight, or size, start exercising and notice how much your self-worth will improve.
4. Helps with everyday stress.
Are your coworkers giving you a rough time? Is school driving you mad? Does life stress the heck out of you some days? Head to the gym and get a quick workout in. Exercising helps reduce stress and anxiety while preparing the body to deal with mental tensions that arise in everyday life. Being active helps release those endorphins that make you feel good and also provides a good distraction from everyday life. Reduce stress by simply moving, no matter the type of activity chosen. Here are five strategies to help you control your stress.
5. Increased quality of rest.
Going to sleep after an intense workout, great yoga session, or long run in the park is common among exercisers. Exercising has been proven to help people get quality sleep on a nightly basis. While exercising will help sleep quality, it’s best to avoid exercising right before you plan to sleep. According to some research, exercise at least 6 hours before bedtime if possible.
6. Have more ‘pep in your step’.
Do you have moments where inspiration is little to none? Feeling constantly fatigued and exhausted even though you rested well last night? If so, step away from your work and go for a walk or a quick workout. Research has shown that people who consistently exercise are more productive than those who are sedentary. Exercising regularly clears your mind and helps get those creative juices flowing.
7. The quality of sexy time increases.
Staying in shape doesn’t just help your appearance and health, it also improves your sex life dramatically. Research has shown that exercise helps increase your libido, optimize your hormones, and improves stamina which obviously is beneficial when it comes to sexy time. Here are some other unexpected benefits of having more sexy time.
8. Illness happens less frequently.
By exercising a couple times a week, you’ll decrease your chances of catching colds that everyone else gets during the winter months. Regular exercise has been shown to combat the ongoing damage done to cells, tissues and organs that underlies many chronic conditions. In layman terms, exercising strengthens your immune system allowing you to withstand all the nasty germs that float around. Exercise regularly and you can lower issues such as blood pressure and high cholesterol while decreasing your chances for type 2 diabetes .
9. Expect to live longer.
The easiest way to increase your stay on this Earth is to exercise regularly. Here’s a study done that found individuals life expectancy increased just by brisk walking up to 75 minutes per week. Include some resistance training and life expectancy rises even more.
10. Smiles are bountiful.
As long as you stay active, you’ll stay happy and avoid having the blues. By exercising, there’s a big release of those happy chemicals that positively affect your mood, leading you to live a happier life. There has been long term connections found between physical activity and prolonged happiness. Keep the sweat flowing and the frowns will stay away.
11. Chances of osteoporosis are lowered.
Osteoporosis is a disease which causes your bones to become fragile and weak, leaving them susceptible to fracturing. This is caused by a decrease in bone density. Interestingly enough, women are 4x more likely than men to develop osteoporosis. One way to combat the onset of osteoporosis is by strength training. Strength training has been proven to help decrease the chances of osteoporosis due to the increase in bone density from such training.
12. Rate of digestion improves.
If you have bowel habits that are slow and suffer from constipation frequently, then exercising is just what the doctor ordered. According to the The Gastroenterological Society of Australia, “Regular cardiovascular exercise helps to strengthen the muscles of the abdomen and reduces sluggishness by stimulating the intestinal muscles to push digestive contents through your system.” Better digestive health will lead to less bloating, gas, and cramps.
13. Hormones improve for the better.
Hormones affect everything from losing weight, gaining muscle, regulating your moods, energy, ability to reproduce, and managing your stress levels. One important hormone for example is insulin. Insulin is produced by beta cells in your pancreas and is key to regulating carbohydrates and fat metabolism in the body. People who live sedentary lifestyles tend to become insulin resistant which is where your cells won’t respond to insulin as it should, leading to issues such as obesity and type 2 diabetes. By consistently exercising, your insulin resistance will be lowered and lead to improved health and less chances of metabolic diseases.
14. Your skin will look better.
No need to waste tons of money on facial products because exercising is the ultimate detoxer when it comes to great skin health. Getting your sweat on a couple times a week can be beneficial when it comes to having good skin. Exercising helps increase blood flow to your skin while sweating helps unclog pores and clears up breakouts that you normally might experience. Now it’s time to hear from you. Comment below on your favorite benefit from exercising regularly? I would love to hear some reasons that I might have missed.
