EXERCISE!!!
Exercise is usually one of those things you either love or …. not so much!
If you enjoy getting physical activity, this will be something you’re probably doing already on a regular basis.
If exercise is low on your list of things you enjoy doing, that’s okay too. What can you start with today? Instead of trying to come up with something you love right now, decide on something you can do that you don’t dread. Maybe that’s going for a walk or maybe it’s dancing or taking a yoga class. You might even enjoy doing exercise at home with DVD’s or streaming videos. Totally up to you.
We talked about how exercise helps to support our natural cleansing system, and here are other very important benefits that regular exercise provides for the body:
– Cardiovascular Health: Regular exercise strengthens the heart muscle, lowers blood pressure, reduces cholesterol levels, and improves blood flow and artery function.
–Disease Risk Reduction: Exercise lowers the risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and certain cancers.
–Muscle and Bone Strength: Working the muscles increases strength, coordination, and bone mineral density.
–Mobility and Balance Enhancement: Exercise keeps joints, tendons, and ligaments flexible, helping prevent falls
–Supports Mental Health: Exercise releases endorphins, which elevate mood and relieve stress and anxiety. It also enhances self-esteem.
–Boosts Energy and Sleep: Exercise increases the number of energy-promoting mitochondria in cells and helps regulate circadian rhythms, leading to better sleep quality.
–Improves Cognition: Greater blood and oxygen flow to the brain enhances focus, memory, and stimulates neural connections.
–Weight Management: Exercise burns calories and body fat while building metabolically active muscle mass.
–Enhances Immunity: Moderate exercise can enhance immune function.
–Slows Aging: Regular physical activity helps protect telomeres (the protective caps on the ends of chromosomes) and may activate longevity genes associated with longer lifespans.
You Don’t Have To Spend Hours At The Gym To Get The Benefits Of Exercise.
If you’ve taken a break from exercise, start with something simple like a 20-minute walk. Look at ways you can add more activity into your day – a short walk during your lunch break, another walk after work perhaps. If finding 20-30 minutes at a time is challenging, see how you can break it up into smaller chunks of time. 10 minutes, here and 10 minutes there – it adds up!
Accountability Helps!
Find a friend or coworker that has similar goals and figure out something you can do together to help keep each other accountable. For many people, this can be a huge help and a great motivator. Studies show that when there is a support system in place, people do much better sticking to their goals.
It Helps To Have A Goal.
It helps to have a goal of 10,000 steps per day and see how close you get to that each day. If you are just starting out, set your goal lower so that you can reach success! A goal of 5,000 per day for the first month may be more realistic. Using a Fitbit, your Apple watch or the health app on your phone will help. Even a simple pedometer is a really great way to track your steps.
Remember to check with your doctor before you start a new exercise routine.
The Bottom Line.
The key is to start with something and COMMIT to it. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing. Remember, incorporating exercise into your routine offers a multitude of benefits for both physical and mental well-being. So, lace up those sneakers and get moving! 🏃♀️🏋️♂️🚴♀️🧘♀️
To Life - To Health 