Exercise is a necessary part of a healthy lifestyle, although it’s sometimes hard to get started. If you’ve been putting off exercising, you owe it to yourself to learn about the top six reasons why you should start exercising. Once you find out about the many benefits of getting regular exercise, you’ll find it a bit easier to head for the gym or lace up your running shoes.
The weight loss benefits of exercise are already well known. Exercise of any type helps to boost your metabolism, which allows your body to more effectively use the food that you eat. When you work out, you burn calories. As long as you’re eating less than your burning, then you’ll automatically lose weight. According to some studies, exercise actually reduces your need for food so that you’ll eat less than you did before you started your exercise program. Losing weight through exercise will also help you lower your blood pressure.
Exercise builds your muscles and helps keep you from losing muscle later on. With a leaner, tighter body you’ll be stronger and you’ll burn more fat. When you have a lot of muscle, your metabolism is naturally higher and you won’t have to work out as hard in the future to lose weight. Over time, you’ll be able to stay at a healthier weight.
Not only do you exercise your muscles during exercise, but your bones get training as well. When you take part in exercise, you strengthen your bones which can prevent breakages as you age. It reduces your risk of developing osteoporosis and can also slow the aging of your bones.
Exercise has also been clinically proven to help with pre-diabetic conditions. It’s used as a treatment for diabetes and pre-diabetic conditions because it alters the cells’ response to insulin. It reduces insulin resistance and increases absorption. This means that when you exercise your body responds to insulin more effectively. This can prevent the onset of diabetes and help your body better absorb the food that you eat.
If you find yourself dragging by the end of the work day, exercise will help give you an energy boost. It may sound counter-intuitive, but regular work outs actually increase your energy levels. It has to do with the fact that exercise brings more oxygen into your blood stream, which helps you feel energized and refreshed. With the extra energy you have from exercising, you may also be able to reduce your dependence on caffeine.
Not only will your body benefit from regular exercise, but your emotional life will as well. Exercise helps release “feel good” hormones into your body to help reduce stress and eliminate depression. It has been proven to reduce clinical symptoms of depression and anxiety. In fact, many doctors recommend exercise as part of a treatment program for depression and other mood disorders. To top it off, exercise will also help you sleep better so it can be an effective cure for insomnia.
No matter whether you’re going to exercise for weight loss benefits, to reduce stress or any of the other top six reasons, it’s important that you start and maintain a regular exercise program. Your body will thank you!