Even though it’s 2018, there is still a widespread level of ignorance surrounding the topic of exercise and working out. When seeing a supposedly slim and healthy looking person jogging or running on a treadmill, many have a habit of questioning why. This notion is especially true when it comes to women. A perfectly slim, young lady has no reason to be at the gym or doing marathon runs around the park, unless she’s looking to either lose even more weight (she’s crazy) or she’s on a bodybuilding mission (why would any normal female want a visible six-pack and butch arms?) – so they say. Well, no, she’s not “crazy”. She’s simply just trying to maintain her healthiest, happiest self. Here are 10 proven reasons why exercise is good for you – beyond the weight loss!
I’m gonna start with something that has nothing to do with body toning or increasing metabolism. Exercising, quite simply puts us in an elevated mood. I would have guessed that most of us probably already know this very well by now – but clearly not! I still get asked why on Earth I’m bothering to stay physically fit if I’m not planning on becoming an athlete, a body-builder or the most common one – losing more weight; “but you’re already perfectly slim!”
You know that good, on-top-of-the-world feeling you get when you’ve just finished a nice, long workout? One of the reasons why exercise is good for you is because it releases chemicals in your body called endorphins which, believe it or not, are the same chemicals released into your brain when you eat chocolate! So in short, I work out because it makes me happy. And that’s just one of the reasons. Am I not allowed to do what makes me happy? 🙂
Now what more could you possibly ask for? It’s no secret that physical activity helps to improve your body’s blood circulation and with that, vital nutrients and oxygen are carried to your skin cells to help nourish and vitalise them – which means a radiant, healthy glow. Think of it cleansing your skin from the inside!
Again, this works in the same fashion as it does with your skin. The blood circulation in your body serves to nourish your scalp with more nutrients and oxygen, which results in healthy hair roots and eventually hair growth. Another fact is, because exercise helps immensely to alleviate stress and tension, it in turn assists to promote healthier hair and skin – because what body part or organ gets along well with stress?!
If your blood flow is constantly being renewed, and your body is always releasing happy-chemicals, how can you then be lacking in energy and feeling sluggish throughout your day? Moreover, it helps to increase your concentration levels – which can even mean less caffeine and more productivity!
Duh. And no, I’m not referring to big, Hulk-like muscles or visibly massive bones. I’m talking about a pair of toned, flexible legs that don’t get sore or achy after a 10 minute walk to the grocery store! Having strong muscles and bones also ensures that your body stays in the best shape possible and decreases the risks of bone diseases such as osteoporosis in later life. Imagine yourself as a great, big mass of jelly without a plate. That’s kind of what you’ll eventually become if you don’t pay attention to your muscles and bone strength while you still can!
You’ve most likely heard this one countless times before, and no it’s not about weight loss, it’s about weight-gain prevention (clever one, eh?!)
Regular exercise can speed up your metabolic rate which means that you’ll prevent excess weight gain as well as maintain weight loss. Just make sure you are consistent enough, even including taking the stairs instead of the lift and doing more household chores.
This is no joke. One of the reasons why exercise is good for you is as you adapt your body and mind to a consistent exercise or work-out routine, you will inevitably be setting yourself up for goal setting, goal achieving abilities in every other department of your life, including the professional department. If you train yourself to regularly set a certain exercise or workout target, you will realise that you are capable of not only setting goals but also achieving them – once you begin to achieve the exercise goals you had set for yourself. This enforces a specific can-do attitude and opens doors to practicality, pro-activity and productivity in whatever else you choose to do.
Are you someone who struggles with insomniac tendencies and can’t seem to figure out how to just, well, fall asleep at night like everybody else? My advice to you would be to NOT consider sleeping pills (at least not yet). My advice to you would be to NOT consider sleeping pills (at least not yet). Just as exercise helps you to stay active and awake during your waking life, it also helps to bring on sleep at night – good, quality sleep. What more can you ask for, really?
I’m not exaggerating here. And you don’t have to work out intensively to eventually achieve this, just rigorously. Have a routine and stick to it – that’s the key. You ever come across an elderly person who’s over a century old but looks no older than 80? I certainly have. Chances are, they weren’t crazy athletes. They probably just led an active and organic lifestyle. It’s hard to lead such a lifestyle nowadays when technology can take care of everything for us! So, for that reason, exercise has become a crucial part of our lives that we need to consciously squeeze into our busy yet mainly sedentary lifestyles.
Yup, absolutely. I mean literally cool. Because exercise is known to help improve your stamina, build your confidence and maintain overall mental and physical balance, your general levels of patience and tolerance with everyday aspects (and people) will witness a stark rise. Your thought process will even change, and you will notice you’re calmer, stronger and just generally – cooler.
So ladies, next time somebody asks you why you’re working out because you supposedly don’t seem like you need to, whip out this list of 10 reasons why exercise is good for you beyond weight loss and watch them admire you from afar! 😉
Just a note, though: these tips will only work if and only if you’re taking care of other aspects of your well-being as a whole. For example: eating healthy, having a balanced diet, drinking lots of water and generally taking good care of your overall self. It’s also important to stay consistent! I can’t stress this enough. If you exercise regularly for, say a week and then you STOP cold turkey expecting to see results – you will be fully disappointed! The key is in consistency and patience. Exercise is no magic cure, it will take a while before you start to notice anything but when you finally do, the results are long-lasting and most importantly – long-term!
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