7 Compelling Reasons to Exercise Regularly

Exercise is not only good for your body, but it’s good for your sanity as well! Ok more accurately your mental and emotional health.😉

I love this quote from Christopher Berger, PhD, CSCS “Everything improves with exercise,” because it’s so true! Whether you are trying to lose weight, reduce stress, boost energy or confidence – exercise plays a major role. It takes you to the next level of who you are.

For me, exercise is one of those things that if I don’t do it, my whole day feels off balance. Exercise opened my life up. It helped me finally understand real confidence, get a handle on relentless anxiety, and strengthened me in my three fights with cancer. It has the power to transform your whole life, here’s how:

#1 Prevent & Manage Health Problems

It’s a well known and researched fact that exercise can help prevent and manage a wide variety of health problems from anxiety all the way to cancer. Regular exercise helps prevent or manage many health problems and concerns, including:

Stroke
Metabolic syndrome
High blood pressure
Type 2 diabetes
Depression
Anxiety
Many types of cancer
Osteoporosis
Arthritis
Falls

The physical health benefits of exercise are unmistakable, especially as we age. Exercise and a healthy diet can actually slow the effects of aging… And I don’t know about you, but I’m all about eternal youth. But we shouldn’t forget the impact on our mental health either. We will talk more about that next!

#3 Exercise Improves Mood

When clients come to me and say they are struggling with their mood, one of my first questions is, “Do you exercise regularly?” Exercise is shown to stimulate brain chemicals that science shows make you feel happier, more relaxed and less anxious.

Harvard studies have even proven exercise can be more effective at treating depression than medication. They have started to replace milligrams of anti-depressants with minutes of exercise each day when weaning people off their medication.

The best part about exercise is, just movement counts in getting started! You don’t have to go to the gym to trigger a release of these chemicals! Even a quick walk around the block can help boost your mood.

There’s another side to this mental benefit as well. Many studies show that exercising can boost confidence and self-esteem. It’s easier to feel positive about yourself and your body when you know you are treating it well with exercise! The feeling of accomplishing a workout can easily carry throughout the rest of your day.

#4 Exercise boosts energy

If you are new around here, I love talking about energy! Think about it, what do you need to do anything in life? ENERGY!

It’s so important for living a fulfilling and happy life. You need energy to carry out your work, maintain relationships, and manage all other areas of your life. I am a huge proponent of finding what gives you energy versus what takes your energy. Exercise is almost ALWAYS an energy giver!

Exercise helps deliver oxygen and nutrients to your tissues. It also helps your heart work more efficiently. No more getting winded when you walk up the staircase! You can also complement your workouts with healthy supplements designed to boost energy.

7 Reasons to Exercise Regularly | Higher Level Living Blog

#5 Exercise Helps You Get a Good Night’s Sleep

I know way too many people that struggle to get a good night’s sleep. Sleep is essential for living life at a higher level. Your body needs to rest and recharge so you can tackle the day ahead, and regular exercise can help you fall asleep faster AND deepen your sleep so you can make those hours in bed count. I recommend exercising in the morning or leave a little time between when you exercise and actually go to sleep. If you work out right before bed, you may actually be more energized from all the stimulation!

#6 Exercise Improves Your Sex Life

Yes, you read that right! Exercise can actually improve your sex life in a few different ways. The first way is more of that mental shift we talked about above. Regular physical activity can improve your energy levels and confidence which can translate to your intimate life. Second, on the physical side, exercise can actually enhance arousal in women and combat erectile dysfunction for men. If you are feeling a lack of desire, I highly encourage you to get into a regular workout routine! Your partner will thank you!

#7. Exercise Can be Social

Exercise is an amazing way to bring a group of people together. There are so many options for physical activity that are also social stimulators. Take a dance class, hike with friends, join an adult sports league, or become a member of your local YMCA. That said, I know how hard it can be to make the time for this level of commitment in your schedule, so if you need something more convenient and something that can be done from home, our lifestyle programs could be the perfect fit for you!Not only are they convenient, but they also give you a virtual network to fuel the social aspect of exercise. You get way more than workouts. You get a community supporting you and cheering you on in our virtual wellness groups. If that sounds like a good fit for you, check out our lifestyle programs here.

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Our lifestyle programs give you the tools to make your self-care and healthy living a seamless way of life so performing at your best and being your best is your everyday default in life.

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