Keeping a consistent exercise program can seem like a chore at times. Sometimes even impossible as life gets in the way of your most heartfelt effort. Challenging your mindset to just give up as it is easier to give in to the temptation of a warm bed on a cold day, or binge watching the new season of your favorite streaming service. I assure you that keeping your workout consistent will pay off so many times over, not just in physical benefits, but in mental benefits as well. 

1. You will begin to move easier.

You may hear a lot about building strength and flexibility and it becomes, at a point, an eye roll explanation on why to keep a consistent practice. Yes,I get that exercise will increase strength and flexibility, but what does that actually mean? It means that you will be able to get out of your chair easier. You will be able to breathe less heavy after traveling up the stairs. You will be able to turn your head and see out of your blind spot of your car easier when driving. You will be able to carry your groceries to the house with less effort. All these little things add up to a huge difference in your quality of life that only regular exercise can give you. Whether its strength training, yoga classes, or pilates, anything that helps you build and maintain muscle mass in a variety of movements will give you this benefit. 

2. You will be happier.

Studies show over and over that those who exercise regularly not only feel great because of the physical benefits, but also from the mental aspect. The body likes to move. Even if at first it is really hard and doesn’t seem that way. Once you get past the introduction of starting a new program the body will start to crave the movement, dumping happy hormones into your system when you give it what it wants. Moving the body increases your blood circulation, flooding your body with fresh fluid to help it function more effectively. If you think about a hose with a kink in it and how hard it is for the water to get past the kink. That’s what imbalances are like in the body. Overcoming those imbalances with a smart exercise program will unkink your imbalances and allow your body fluids and energy to flow easier throughout your system.

3. It becomes your healthy coping skill

All of us have coping skills, whether your coping skills have a negative or a positive influence on your life is subjective to what your coping mechanism is. Exercising consistently is not only preparing you for the physical dilemmas that may come up with age, but also to help you build your mind to handle the rough times. The activities we practice when we are in a calm neutral mood are the things we go to when we are stressed. Our mind doesn’t think rationally when it is in survival mode. It wants to be comfortable and you will crave the activities that are most comforting to you. The more you make the gym your comfortable place, the more it will turn to that in times of stress turning your hobby into a huge part of maintaining your mental health and keeping a clear mind during stress. 

4. Of course all the health benefits! 

Exercise has countless health benefits! A recent study from Harvard showed that for every hour of exercise, the practitioner gains about 2 hours of added life expectancy. Consistent exercise can add years to your life. Exercise lifts your heart rate. Our heart is a muscle, training it makes it work better. Decreasing your risk for cardiovascular disease. Exercise helps manage your weight, your blood sugar, and increases the capacity of your lungs among countless other health benefits. To say it plainly; Exercise is good for your health. Period. There is no if, ands, or buts. Exercise is good for you and you should exercise regularly! Whatever exercise gets you in the door of the gym, moving and coming back is the perfect exercise for you. 

5. Stress

Reducing stress can be seen as one of the many health benefits, but I decided to add it separately as stress is a big one. Uncontrolled stress is one of the top reasons why people go to see a doctor for help. Chronic stress, which is defined as repetitive stress that grows to dis-ease, is damaging to the body. Stress, which is a natural response to life threatening stimuli, is a different experience than what it used to be in ancient times. Today what is mostly seen is micro-stress events that happen all day long. An email from someone who is upset at work, someone running a red light near you, a phone call from your electric company, meeting deadlines at work. These little repeated stresses are teaching your mind to stay in a state of constant stress and aren't allowing you to recover from one stress before the next one occurs. Our mind is not designed to be stressed this often. Exercise will not only give you an outlet for your stress, but also help you turn your mind off. This turning your mind off is a practice of letting go of everything for a moment. That will leak out into your daily life and it will become easier to turn it off when you need to. This will not only help you experience less stress when a stress event is occurring, but also allow you to recover from a stress event more quickly. 

The 5 benefits of exercise listed here is, by no means a complete list of benefits for exercise. Regardless of why you want an exercise program, it will benefit you. Establishing a consistent exercise program will be one of the best things you can do for your health and the quality of your life. For further questions, don’t hesitate to give us a call 651-415-9500