I’m sure at some point in your life, someone has recommended that you exercise… Maybe it was your doctor, a buddy that works out, or even a member of your family. We have all been given this advice and I think we all know it’s in our best interest.
“The thing is, even though we know we need to exercise, there always seems to be something getting in the way…”
That brick wall we run into is COMMITMENT, it’s the motivation to stick to something. I get it, sticking to an exercise program or starting one up for that matter is NOT easy. So today, I’d like to share with you 4 MAJOR benefits of starting your fitness journey and hopefully provide you with some insight to get you over the hump.
1. Build Resiliency to Injury & Disease
First and foremost, exercise will reduce your risk of injury and disease!
Injury reduction occurs through adaptation of your connective tissues. Bones get stronger, ligaments and tendons become more robust, heck, even your skin will become more durable.
Additionally, the American College of Sports Medicine reveals that a properly dosed exercise program reduces both the risk of developing chronic diseases and the risk of early death among all populations. Conversely, a sedentary lifestyle has been independently linked to an increased risk of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and type II diabetes.
2. Boost your Mood & Energy
There have been a plethora of studies showing the effects of exercise on mood and energy levels. These two effects are commonly associated due to the way they are regulated in the brain. During and after exercise, the release of hormones increase feelings of well-being and provide you with a boost of energy. Moreover, researchers are beginning to develop exercise programs as primary treatments for mood disorders such as Major Depressive Disorder. (Meyer et al., 2016)
3. Polish Your Memory & Your Brainpower
When we think of exercise, we traditionally think of the benefits awarded to the heart and vessels, but let us make the heart- brain connection. As our hearts reap the benefits of exercise, so to do our minds. This study of healthy, older adults showed that an acute session of aerobic exercise is effective in increasing performance in cognitive tasks including reaction time and memory involving object recognition. This study suggests that aerobic exercise may be a mechanism to enhance cognitive performance! (Fortune et al., 2015)
4. Sleep Better!
Have you ever noticed that after a long day of hard work you seem to sleep like a rock? You can thank your physical activity for that! Per the National Sleep Foundation, exercise helps to reset the sleep-wake cycle and has even been shown to reduce the risk of developing chronic sleep disorders such as sleep apnea & restless leg syndrome.
On another note, if you struggle to fall asleep and rely on sleep aids or medications to help, STOP! And replace them with exercise, this study shows that an exercise program had similar effects on sleep quality as did sleep medications. So why not improve your sleep naturally! (Nowell et al., 1997)
Bonus: Increase your confidence!
It takes a special person to have the discipline to join the fitness grind. Not only will you feel better about the character and discipline your building, you’ll look better doing it!
Be proud! Be Confident! And keep it up!
If you want to learn more about how to get started, how to get over the hump and stick to your fitness plan, stay tuned to HP4 for a future article!
Join me in the pursuit of Your Next Level by commenting below!
Garrett Holle
Student Physical Therapist, Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist
Kansas City, KS
Learn More about the Author HERE
Holle Per4mance 