While a weight-loss goal isn’t a bad thing, many people get caught up in the number on the scale. It’s easy to miss the many benefits of a healthy lifestyle when you are hyper-focused on numbers. Today I want to talk about a few reasons (other than weight loss) you should be incorporating exercise into your routine.
Before we get started, here’s your reminder that this is not medical advice. Check out my disclaimer to learn more.
Reason #1: It gives you more energy
Exercise can give you more energy because it keeps things moving- literally! Your oxygen supply & blood circulation both have to increase when you work out. This allows the cells to work more efficiently, resulting in increased energy supply.
Exercise also fights fatigue. You would initially think the opposite because exercise can sometimes be a very energy-exerting activity. According to a quote on an article by WebMD, “More than 90% of the studies showed the same thing: Sedentary people who completed a regular exercise program reported improved fatigue compared to groups that did not…”
Whether you have fatigue or not, exercise is almost always guaranteed to give you an energy boost!
Reason #2: The many benefits of having muscle on your body
There are several benefits to having muscle in your body. Let’s break it down below!
Increased metabolism
Increased muscle mass can increase one’s metabolic rate. It is estimated that for every lb of muscle burns 6 calories, while fat burns 2. This includes the calories you burn while at rest and when you’re moving, whether your BMR or active calories. An increased metabolism allows more energy, better reactions to hunger and fullness cues, quality sleep and natural weight management.
Bone health
Studies show that when you strength train and increase muscle mass, your bones also get stronger. This may seem counterintuitive- but it’s not. Strength training actually stresses the bones, which forces them to increase in density. All in all, exercise, especially strength and resistance exercises, are a key component to maintaining bone health and reducing risk of osteoporosis.
Safety & protection
Muscle makes your body more resilient. Not only does it strengthen your bones like mentioned above, but it also makes you more sturdy in general. It’s widely known that muscle is something that protects athletes from things like impact and injuries. However, having more muscle on the body can protect anyone from injury.
Reason #3: Exercise is a free mood & confidence boost
Most of the time, when you don’t feel good about working out but you choose to anyway, you feel better afterward. Many people swear that the gym can be like therapy. You may have also heard of ‘the runner’s high’ before. What about exercise is causing all of these good feelings?
Endorphins! These good feelings are from endorphins, which are chemicals that are released when you exercise. These are basically natural pain killers AND mood boosters that your body creates itself. It can also stimulate relaxation, leading to decreased stress hormones in the body. Sounds like a win-win situation to me.
Reason #4: Your body’s sleep cycle will thank you
A regular schedule of exercising can actually help you sleep better. Vice versa, a lack of exercise can is linked to poor sleep. In short, getting active during the day prepares you for better sleep at night.
Sleep is very, very important. It allows the body to rest, recover and detox on a daily basis. Exercise exerts energy & gets the body going in all the right ways to help with your sleep schedule.
There are several people who have described exercise as ‘free treatment’ for sleep troubles. While there are many factors to cultivating a healthy sleep schedule, regular exercise can allow your body to regulate and react to the cues you give it, ultimately preparing it to rest.
Reason #5: Flexibility, mobility & balance that helps you be safer & age well
Many times people are working out to tone their bodies and build muscle, but the byproducts of flexibility, mobility, and balance that also come with training are just as beneficial.
This is extremely good for the older population. Like mentioned earlier, exercise helps with increased muscle and bone density. This coupled with balance, flexibility & mobility can prevent trips and falls, as well as allow for joint health and minimal pain in the body.
Resistance training naturally allows you to be more flexible and balanced. There are several traditional exercises that may challenge your body at first, but will allow you to be move and react better.
Reason #6: Your cardiovascular health
Exercise is a habit that supports your heart health. It can lower blood pressure, regulate blood sugar, and possibly prevent heart diseases and issues with the cardiovascular system.
Getting your heart rate up (at a healthy level, of course) through exercise has many, many benefits. Check out this study from Harvard that discusses the many ways exercise supports your heart.
Reason #7: Exercise clears your mind & is good for your mental health
Similar to a mood & confidence boost, exercise can be good for not only your physical health but also for your mind. There are studies that suggest it can reduce anxiety, depression and cognitive dysfunction.
I belive this to be very true. When you incorporate exercise into your regular routine, it is something you choose to do for yourself. For many, it’s almost like a getaway. A small amount of time, even if it’s just fifteen minutes, to move your body and clear your mind can make a massive difference in your mental clarity and mental health.
Being that exercise also reduces stress, gives you happy chemicals and hormones, and allows your body to get stronger and regulate… it would be very hard to disprove that it helps. Exercise is the perfect medicine to regularly improve your mental health.
Reason #8: Everyday activities are easier!
When you follow an exercise regimen that includes the basic movement patterns such as squat, hip hinge, pull, and push… everyday activities become easier! You can move things around and do things without worrying about pain or soreness the next day.
Regular exercise based on the basic movement patterns are practiced in some variation in every sport. While many sports are different, the training remains similar: strengthen the body & cardiovascular system through exercise.
While this may help with sports, there are countless other things it can help with. Gardening, cleaning your home, walking in airports, going on trips with your family, picking up and playing with your kids or grandkid…
Exercise is not just good for you because that’s what the doctors say. It can help you in every area of your life and even improve your relationships by allowing you to do more without worrying.
Reason #9: Improved brain function
Yes, exercise may help the brain function better! While we already mentioned mental health, let’s discuss how it can help your brain health.
Remember when I mentioned exercise can give you more energy because it increases blood flow? This is also great for the brain, because it increases the flow that leads to the brain. This helps deliver all of the needed nutrients to the brain to allow for peak function.
It may also improve memory. Check out this statement from Bringham University’s research on brain health…
“Exercise improves memory by increasing molecular targets like the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). This molecular factor increases synaptogenesis, forming new synapses that mediate learning and memory, making it easier to absorb information and form long-term memories. The more BDNF, the more the memory improves in function and capacity.”
Also, as mentioned previously, the decrease in stress hormones and increase in happy hormones also can help brain health.
There you have it! As you can see, exercise is something that can improve your life in many ways. It is preventative medicine for many ailments and is also a surefire way to help you feel better almost immediately. If you didn’t have a reason to exercise before, now you have 9 🙂 Let me know how exercise has benefitted your life in the comments. Much love, and see ya next blog.
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