Why Should You Exercise?

Medical professionals often extol the virtues of exercise, but it seems that very few people listen. There are, of course, those individuals who enthusiastically run or go the gym every day, but for many individuals, exercise seems to require too much time and effort to bother with. It is therefore understandable why obesity has been a growing problem in the developed world. People have become lazier and are expending less energy, whilst at the same time there is a wider array of cheap, calorific food to choose from. If you don’t get the balance right between calories in and calories out, the inevitable result is weight gain.

Clearly, then, a good reason to exercise is for weight control. If you exercise regularly, you will find that is much easier to avoid weight gain. Whilst you are exercising your body is having to work and is therefore using up energy; plus, it helps speed up your metabolism and continues to do so, even once you have stopped. You can work on toning up parts of your body and improving your overall appearance by incorporating cardiovascular exercise, such as running, into your daily routine and building muscle by lifting weights, since muscle helps you to burn more calories.

Exercise offers you more than just the chance to stay slim and toned, though; it is also essential for your health. By exercising on a regular basis, you are conditioning and strengthening your heart and keeping visceral fat levels down, which is important, because it reduces the chances that you will have a heart attack or develop diabetes and other serious medical conditions. Although exercise might seem like a waste of time, it really isn’t, as you will be able to stay in better physical condition for longer by simply making time in your day to do something that elevates your heart rate for half an hour or so.

Not only will your physical well-being benefit from the decision to get more active; your mental well-being will also improve. When you exercise, especially at a high intensity, your brain releases chemicals, such as endorphins, which help you to feel more positive. You will therefore better able to cope with stress and anxiety. Plus, you will find it much easier to sleep after tiring your body out and this is good news, because sleep is also important for your mental health. Another benefit of exercise is that it gives you an opportunity to find a new interest and meet different people, which can ease boredom and give your self-esteem a boost.

It is therefore evident that there are a multitude of reasons why you should exercise, and not very many good excuses to avoid it!