I’m sure we have all had times when we feel like this cat, we tell ourselves that “this will be the year I get in shape” or “now I’m going to get fit” and it just doesn’t seem to happen. And the truth is that is fine! In my last post I mentioned some ways to help stay motivated but I think all too often the focus can be on ‘getting into shape’ and the other benefits of being active are over looked. So in case it feel like you are trying but just not getting anywhere, here are some of the other important reasons to keep active and do regular exercise.
Cardiovascular health
Yes I have jumped right in with a pretty major one but why not start with probably the most important organ in your body? I imagine that most people already know that being active helps with keeping your heart healthy. But the term cardiovascular health encompasses a lot of things such as: heart strength, artery health, blood pressure, circulation at the peripherals and probably some other things. And whilst all of these can be affected by genetics, diet and other lift style factors, exercise can play a major role in improving all of them! Plus, exercise helps with weight loss which further reduces the risk of heart related diseases. Of course, improving the other aspects like diet etc will also help but activity can do a good deal!
Sleep
I often think that this is a benefit of being active that is greatly over looked. Now sleeping habits on their own are a whole world of interesting on their own. But with regards to exercise, being more active can help us obtain a better quality of sleep! It will probably be the case that when starting out doing regular exercise the first week or so will be tricky with feeling more tired but eventually your body adjusts. By keeping a regular exercise routing (coupled with a regular sleeping pattern) chances are your sleep will improve and you will start to feel more rested.
Energy
This sort of links in with sleep but exercise can boosts your energy! How often are you sat there in front of the TV feeling really lethargic or low on energy and it’s the middle of the day? One of the best things you can do is something active, preferably outdoors to get fresh air as well. But getting the blood pumping increases brain blood flow which can help us feel more awake. You should try it next time you’re feeling a bit tired!
Brain Health
Again this is sort of linking in with the last couple of points. Improving brain blood flow not only helps with feeling more energetic, but can help to keep your brain healthy for longer.
Balance, Stability and Flexibility
These are probably things we take for granted but they are very important for day to day activities. You might even think your balance is pretty good but just try testing it…can you balance on one leg? How about standing still and closing your eyes? Or on one leg with your eyes closed? Being regularly active without specifically training your balance can improve it. And how flexible are you? Having better flexibly can reduce your chances of getting a muscular injury that might occur just from doing work around your home.
Mental Health
Mental health is incredibly important and it is something which I think is becoming even more prominent with the world of social media. The high stresses that we face daily is can be even more significant now given the current climate we live in. But activity and exercise can significantly impact mental health issues such as depression and anxiety, reduce feeling of stress and panic, and make us feel good about ourselves through sense of achievement and accomplishment. The truth is it can be very difficult to find the motivation to be active anyway, let alone when you are struggling mentally. But the benefits of being active on mental health can be great. For some people exercise is a way of coping with stress, can allow us to have time to ourselves to reflect, or act as a chance to escape the difficulties of what is going on around us and focus solely on our body. It is also worth saying that finding something you enjoy doing rather than just doing exercise for the sake of it will also help. If something doesn’t feel like it is working for you then there is no need to worry, just change it up. When you do find something you enjoy you will be mentally stimulated which can help with mood and is just another bonus.
Healthy Ageing
This I put at the end because it includes everything I have already mentioned. The longer we can keep active and the more activity we can do when we’re younger, the greater benefit we will see as we get older. Keeping ourselves mobile will only be beneficial to us in the future and you will thank younger you. I will also take this time to say that it is never too late to start doing something and any activity at any age will be beneficial!
I hope this has provoked some thought into other reasons why exercise and activity is great! So get moving and get challenging yourself! You never know what you might find you enjoy!
Just Love Challenges 