I have never written about anything personal, but in this article, you are going to read about a life changing event I experienced. I want people to understand the importance of exercise. In the first part of the article, I will discuss the 50 reasons why you should exercise. Later in the article, I will share my experience. The first thought that comes to mind when people hear the word exercise, is losing weight. Sure, that is a great reason to exercise, but it can become a chore if that is the only reason you want to exercise. Exercise should be about being healthy. Weight loss is a fringe benefit. Exercise is really about the mind, as much as it is about the body. Endorphins are just one of the hormones released from the brain during exercise. These hormones affect your mood. So again, exercise is about mind and body. This article will list 50 reasons you should exercise.
- Helps manage stress
- Improves your immune system
- Reduces your risk of getting heart disease
- Increases your muscle strength
- Improves athletic performance
- Helps relieve tension headaches
- Allows you to consume greater quantities of food and still maintain caloric balance
- Helps you sleep better
- Enhances sexual desire
- Reduces the risk of developing high blood pressure.
- Increases bone density
- Improves your physical appearance
- Increases circulating levels
- Helps you to relax.
- Improves brain function, including short-term memory in older individuals
- Helps relieve many of the common discomforts of pregnancy
- Reduces anxiety levels
- Helps control blood pressure
- Protects against the slow, but steady weight gain that occurs as you age due to slower metabolism
- Lowers your resting heart rate
- Reduces circulating levels of triglycerides
- Helps the body resist upper respiratory tract infections
- Helps speed recovery from chemotherapy treatments
- Increases the cartilage in your joints
- Gives you more energy to meet the demands of daily life
- Increases your level of muscle and cardio endurance
- Reduces the risk of developing colon, prostate, and breast cancer
- Helps to alleviate depression. 28. Helps you maintain proper muscle balance
- Helps with menstrual symptoms
- Improves mental alertness
- Reduces your risk of having a stroke
- Helps you to burn excess calories
- Increases your cardiac reserve
- Improves heart circulation
- Improves your self-esteem
- Improves your immune system
- Reduces your likelihood of developing low-back problems
- Improves your balance and coordination
- Your body uses and burns fat for energy during physical activity.
- Helps in preventing injury
- Decreases the need for medication
- Improves your decision-making abilities, brain function
- Helps to reduce and prevent symptoms of menopause (hot flashes, sleep disturbances, irritability, etc.) and decrease the long-term risks of cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and obesity
- Helps to relieve and prevent migraine headaches
- Helps reduce bone loss as you age, thereby reducing your risk of developing osteoporosis
- Improves your mood.
- Helps to increase your overall health
- Helps you to maintain an independent lifestyle
- Reduces the level of abdominal obesity
- Increases the diffusion capacity of the lungs, enhancing the exchange of oxygen from your lungs to your blood
Exercise, without doubt, improves your quality of life, and is truly the best medicine. There are situations where people are limited or unable to exercise, and I completely respect and understand those situations. However, as I mentioned earlier, if you can move, you need to move! The only thing that works the heart muscle is cardio. As far as your other muscles and joints, like anything else that goes unused, they will get rusty and will eventually stop working. The more you move them and stay active, the healthier you will be.
Following is my personal experience: I was involved in a life-threatening car accident. I had three brain bleeds and was put into a self-induced coma. Fast forward…I went through months of cognitive, speech, and physical therapy, of which I have no memory. The doctors, specifically my neurologist, said that if it were not for my physical condition, I may not have recovered as quickly, if at all. Being in good cardio and physical shape, helped speed up my recovery. My neurologist also said that I had a strong mind. I was determined.
I am sharing this story to prove that your physical ability and positive outlook will carry you through life and difficult times in your life. Again, it’s not about being skinny. It’s about being healthy and being able to climb the stairs, walk for miles, or carry something heavy. All of this starts with a strong, determined, positive mind. Your mind can tell your body what to do. You can truly do anything you put your mind to.
