Five Great Reasons To Exercise Happily

The medical community is always telling us to exercise, and it seems that there are continually new reasons being discovered why exercise is good for you. Still, most people do not exercise it seems, or only do so erratically. Fortunately exercise is easy to do, whether you are simply walking during lunch, swimming laps while training for a triathlon, or playing a sport you enjoy. After you read this list, hopefully if you are not regularly active it will spur you to action! Here are five great reasons to exercise. 1) Exercise burns calories and helps you lose weight, and at least in the Western world, many people need to lose weight. Just dieting alone usually doesn’t work well, at least not for most people who are older than mid 20s. Diet and exercise is usually required. More and more research shows weight is more important than previously thought for your health, and even slight levels of being overweight can have significant health risks. 2) Exercise is great for helping reduce excess stress. It is the rare person in today’s hectic modern world that has no extra stress, and numerous studies show there is a connection between stress levels and exercise. The more you exercise the less stress you tend to have. Of course this is somewhat simplistic, but the link between the two is undeniable. I certainly feel more relaxed and calm when I have been having my usual workouts, and am more likely to stress when I have been missing many workouts like during extreme business travel. 3) It is good for your heart to raise your pulse several times a week for several minutes, and exercise of course accomplishes that. Of course your heart is critical and heart disease is an unfortunately major health concern for many. Anything you can do for your heart is good for you! 4) People who exercise look better. As the banner at my health club says, “Look Better Naked,” and you will look better both dressed and undressed. It is more than just weight loss or fat loss. Part of it is also gaining muscle, which is universally attractive in normal quantities, but another factor is that people in good shape just tend to look better for whatever reason. 5) People who exercise tend to be happier. Exercise releases endorphins and other substances into the blood stream that elevates moods, and certain types of exercise are even seemingly addictive, for example running and weight lifting. Increasing exercise has a major effect, whether it from total inactivity to talking a few short walks a week, or from occasional exercise to more steady exercise. And even if you do not like the idea of exercise, any physical activity will do whatever you may call it. It’s good for you, it makes you look and even feel better, and exercising is a no-brainer. And once you start you will even probably start to look forward to and enjoy it!