I love to write about Fitness- and motivating others to work out is an area that I truly love! There are many reasons to exercise, but I have included the ones that I believe are most important. I hope these Top 10 Reasons to Exercise will inspire you to start moving your body!
1. Bring Joy Back Into Your Life: Do you go to work, come home, watch TV, go to bed and then get up the next day to do it all over again? Life doesn’t have to be this way! I have a good friend who had this lifestyle for years and years. At the age of 45, he had enough and decided to change his life. Now, after work, he gets on his bike and goes for a 1-2 hour ride.
We live in Phoenix- so he even rides when it’s 110 out. No excuses. He has a brand new lifestyle because of ONE change in his schedule. Eventually, he started going to other places to explore and go Mountain Biking.
2. To Be in Better Health: Through exercising and being fit, you will have more energy and be happier! Less aches and pains (generally speaking). Of course there are injuries that people can get from working out. For the most part, you will stay much healthier throughout your entire life. Think of the cost savings on Doctor bills!
3. The Workout High: Exercising releases endorphins and relieves stress. You will feel so much better after a good workout! You could be having the worst day, go for a walk or run and then feel much better afterwards even though your situation is the same. Stress and anger builds up in our bodies- but is released through physical movement.
4. Make Time for You: No doubt you make time to take care of your kids, spouse, other family members, and even co-workers. But are you taking time to take care of yourself? Exercise is a one of the best “self-care” things you can do. And- taking time for yourself is not selfish. I typically exercise 2 times a day- one for me and one for walking my dog. I have to have the one exercise session to myself! 🙂
5. Burn More Calories: To lose weight, you need a deficit in calories. Women typically burn between 1,600 and 1,950 calories per day without exercise. Burning calories is one of the most effective ways to lose weight, in addition to exercise. The more you move, the more calories you burn — and the bigger your calorie deficit. When someone notices the changes in your body, it will make you feel so good. And it makes you want to work out more.
6. Can Join Fitness Challenges: There are so many different fitness challenges you can join. Running, lifting weights, losing weight, etc. You don’t have to go alone on your fitness journey. These challenges are fun and will open you up to a whole new world.
7. Get to Reward Yourself: It’s more fun to reward yourself when you have done something significant. Starting a workout routine and hitting milestones is definitely worthy of a reward! Doing this often in the beginning will keep you motivated. When I started hiking, I rewarded myself with some Patagonia gear. I generally don’t spend a lot of money on name brand stuff, but I’ve wanted the Patagonia backpack for years.
8. Time to Think/Reflect: If you walk outside or go for a run, this will provide you with some quiet time to think. When you have external noises going on around you, it makes it very difficult to hear your own thoughts. When I am hiking or riding my bike, I like to just be present and focus on the beautiful surroundings.
9. Make New Friends: Loneliness is starting to be an actual epidemic. Through Joining a Hiking or Running Club for instance you can meet new people. I encourage this vs. joining a gym. The gym environment is not conducive to making friends (in my opinion). I could be a bit biased, but those who love the outdoors are some of the most down to earth people I’ve ever met. Joining groups will also help you to keep your commitments. You don’t want to let others down when they are expecting you to show up.
10. Continuous Improvement: Exercising and staying active is one of the main ways you can improve your life. Set goals for weight loss or waist measurement. Or number of days each week you work out. You can keep track of your fitness in a journal, keep before and after pictures, or track the miles you’ve run in a log book. Writing your progress down will be a constant reminder of how far you’ve come. As you get more fit, you’ll gain confidence and other areas of your life will be improved.
Summary- Top Ten Reasons to Exercise
Starting an exercise routine can be life changing. As you’ve seen, there are so many benefits that are truly hard to ignore. You don’t have to be the Warrior Ninja- even 20 or 25 minutes, 3 times a week will make a big difference! Start with small steps and then just grow your positive habit from there.
What other reasons do you see for exercise? Would love to hear your thoughts so please leave a comment below!
Thanks for sharing these insights! I often find myself overwhelmed by the idea of getting fit, but starting small feels more manageable. I can relate to needing a good dose of fresh air to clear my head; it’s surprising how much a simple walk can lift your mood. The idea of rewarding myself for small milestones is a nice touch too. Looking forward to giving some of these a go!
Hi Shambles~ glad you can relate to starting with small steps. I think a lot of people don’t feel 5 or 10 minutes is enough- but this is what they need to form a solid habit of exercising.
I absolutely agree, once you’ve exercised you feel great both physically and mentally. Many of the illness we now experience stem from our sedentary lifestyles. Sometimes it’s hard to get started, particularly in winter but once you do something continuously for 21 days it becomes habit. You can even encourage your family to exercise with you but even if they don’t, you are giving your kids the right example. The benefits of exercising can’t be stated enough. My favourite exercise is hiking. I do it every week.
Lyn, I appreciate your comments. It is more difficult to exercise during the winter- especially in the morning when you’re all warm and snug in bed. That’s great that hiking is your favorite activity- it’s mine as well!