Do I Really Need to Exercise?
"I am not overweight, so why should I be exercising?" If you asked yourself this question, like so many of us did at the beginning of the year, here are a few really good reasons to start exercising:
- Exercise can be a great mood enhancer, depression buster, and stress manager: do your workouts in nature, and enjoy the benefits of fresh air and sunlight.
- Sleep well after a good workout: of course, dont exercise too late in the evening, as that can backfire on your, giving you extra energy.
- Exercise lowers the bad cholesterol, as well as your blood pressure, helping prevent heart conditions.
- Reduce back pain when you strengthen your back muscles, by improving flexibility with regular exercising.
- Systematic exercise enhances your immune system.
- Exercise also helps slow the aging process, because of increased blood flow to all the organs, as well as muscles.
Of course, exercise has a lot more benefits, and YOU can definitely benefit from regular exercising activities.
Now you may ask: but how do I exercise? I dont like the thought of having to work out all the time. Well, you can actually enjoy your work out routine.
If you like swimming, go a couple of times a week. If you like company, invite a friend for a nice stroll in the park, and if you find yourself wanting more, go ahead and sign up for a gym, where you can use their professional equipment. You can also go bike riding a few times a month, and why not sign up for a dance class?
Of course, vary your routine, so you dont get bored, and also for then benefit that you get from exercising different areas of your body. Also, many times you can get in a little bit of exercise without even trying. If you mow your lawn with a push mower, if you are weeding, or gardening, you are in fact exercising.
When you go shopping or are out on errands, make sure you dont look for the closest parking spot. And if you have a two-story house, find reason to go up and down the stairs several times a day (checking on your kids, getting a load of laundry to the lower floor, taking back the folded laundry, or any other reason to move your muscles).
Remember to warm up and cool down before and after your exercising time, and make sure you dont forget to drink plenty of water to flush out toxins.
Enjoy your new found flexibility, strength, and increased self esteem!