Fitness
More Than Rockin’ Abs: 9 Surprising Ways Working Out Helps Your Health
Did you know that 80 percent of adults in the United States do not exercise as often as they should? Are you part of this group yourself?
If you’re not exercising on a regular basis, you could be missing out on a lot of great benefits.
Remember, too, that these benefits extend far beyond looking good in a bathing suit. Exercise is great for your physical, mental, and emotional health.
Read on to learn about nine specific ways that working out can make you a healthier, happier person.
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Reduced Stress, Anxiety, and Depression
Exercise helps your body to produce endorphins. Endorphins are chemical messengers that boost your mood and relieve feelings of stress, anxiety, and depression.
Many people find that, when they exercise on a regular basis, they feel much better mentally than they do when exercise is not part of their routine. In some cases, exercise can even be just as — if not more — effective than antidepressant medications.
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Higher Vitamin D Levels
When you exercise outside of the gym, you get to enjoy the great outdoors. Spending time outside in the sun helps to increase your levels of vitamin D.
When your vitamin D levels are higher, you’re likely to experience better moods and fewer bouts of depression and anxiety. Adequate vitamin D is necessary for a strong immune system, too.
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Reduced Risk of Dementia
Regular exercise has been linked to a reduced risk of dementia. This is because exercise helps to boost memory.
Physical activity increases the production of cells in the hippocampus that are responsible for learning and memory formation.
People who exercise often have better short-term memory. They’re also less likely to suffer from chronic inflammation, which is associated with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
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Reduced Risk of Osteoporosis
Exercise — especially weight-bearing exercise like weightlifting, walking, running, dancing, and hiking — helps to increase bone density.
This, in turn, reduces your risk of developing osteoporosis (a condition characterized by a loss of bone mass) and experiencing fractures when you get older.
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Reduced Risk of Muscle Loss
Exercise doesn’t just help to prevent bone loss. It also helps to reduce the risk of muscle loss.
Sarcopenia (the loss of muscle mass, strength, and quality) is a common condition among older adults, but you can prevent it by working on building muscle mass in your youth.
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Improved Digestion
People who exercise on a regular basis tend to experience better digestion than those who do not.
Exercise make sit easier for the muscles of the intestinal tract to break down food and move it through the digestive system. This helps to minimize the likelihood that you’ll experience issues like constipation, bloating, and gas.
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Improved Productivity
You might think you’re too busy to exercise. Did you know, though, that exercising can help you to be more productive?
People who exercise are usually less stressed and have an easier time focusing. This, in turn, can help them to get more done during the workday.
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Increased Self-Confidence
When you exercise consistently, you’re more likely to experience an increase in self-confidence.
Some of this confidence might come from the fact that you feel better about the way your body looks. A lot of it, though, also comes from the fact that you’ll be able to do more than you once could.
Whether it’s running a mile without stopping or lifting heavy weights with ease, you’ll be amazed at how your self-esteem improves when you start making progress in your workouts.
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Reduced Risk of Cancer
Exercising on a regular basis can help to reduce your risk of certain types of cancer, too. It appears to be especially effective when it comes to preventing breast cancer.
Postmenopausal women who exercise often tend to have lower levels of estrogen. These lower levels of estrogen, in turn, help to minimize breast cancer risk.
Making Working Out a Habit
As you can see, there are lots of reasons to exercise that have nothing to do with aesthetics. Everyone can benefit from working out on a regular basis.
In order to enjoy the benefits of exercise, it’s important to make working out a regular habit. Here are some tips that can help you do this:
Schedule Your Workouts
Treat your workouts just like you would any other appointment. Write them down on your calendar or to-do list to make sure they get completed.
It also helps to plan your workouts for the same time each day. This will make it easier for you to establish a habit.
Hire a Personal Trainer
According to fithaus.io, hiring a personal trainer is one of the most effective steps you can take to get in shape.
You can work with a personal trainer in-person at a gym or online.
A personal trainer helps to keep you accountable and ensures that you continue to make progress during your workouts.
Set Goals
You’re going to be more likely to stick to your workout routine if you have a goal that you’re working toward.
It could be an aesthetic goal, such as losing a certain number of pounds or fitting into a particular clothing size.
It could also be a performance goal, such as doing a certain number of push-ups or bench pressing a certain amount of weight.
Write your goals down and post them somewhere where you’ll be reminded of them often. This will help you to stay motivated.
Start Working Out Today
As you can see, there are lots of reasons why you ought to be working out on a regular basis.
Keep this information in mind, as well as these tips for making exercise a habit, and you’ll be amazed at how much better you feel once you start to exercise more often.
Do you want to learn more about exercise and fitness? Are you looking for new workout routines and ideas on how to get the most out of your workouts?
If so, be sure to check out the Fitness section of our website today. We’ve got tons of great tips here that will turn you into a workout expert in no time!
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