Only half of adult Americans meet the CDC’s physical activity guidelines. That means half of all adults in the country do not have any workout goals and are not reaping the huge benefits of regular exercise!
Moving your body is a non-negotiable part of living a healthy life, along with eating well and drinking water. And anything from swimming to walking to rock climbing counts as working out.
Do you need some more convincing? Well, here are some of the top ways that working out benefits you.
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Makes You Feel Happier
Exercise helps your mental health as much as it does your physical health. These are some of the important chemicals that exercise releases in your brain to make you feel happy:
- Dopamine
- Adrenaline
- Endorphins
- Endocannabinoid
It also increases the brain’s reaction to serotonin and norepinephrine.
All these chemicals will help you feel less anxious, stressed, and depressed. And they will help you feel happier and more confident as a result.
Even being able to do physical activities resulting from exercise like enjoying a family walk or having sex will boost your self-esteem.
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Promotes Weight Loss and Stability
Lots of research shows that no regular exercise routine leads to weight gain and fluctuation.
Exercise boosts your metabolism, which helps you digest food faster, and your body will not store the food as fat. So even if you do not want or need to lose weight, working out helps stabilize your weight.
Some exercises are better for weight loss than others. For example, these are six of the most popular high intensity workouts which are ideal for shifting stubborn fat. Adjust your workout goals to include fat-busting exercises.
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Regulates Your Energy Levels
Do you get tired often, despite getting six to eight hours of sleep every night? Exercising and having workout goals will help you with that.
It sounds counterproductive, but working out helps your body regulate its temperature. This is necessary for REM sleep. You are less likely to experience fatigue during the day if you exercise more, too.
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Helps Your Muscle Health
Exercises like weight lifting and strength training are well known to increase muscle mass, leading to a stronger body. This is important as you get older, in particular, because muscle mass starts deteriorating.
Exercise will help you keep moving and stay independent for much longer.
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Reduces the Risk of Chronic Diseases
Working out does not only stabilize your weight but your blood pressure and insulin levels too. Without exercise, you are at greater risk of developing chronic illnesses like heart disease and diabetes in later life.
Even 30 minutes of light cardio activities a day, such as walking or swimming, could reduce your chances of developing one of these diseases.
Reap the Benefits of Workout Goals
If you do not have any workout goals, now is the time to do your research and get started. It is not about vanity muscles or gym selfies; working out is about being healthy and being the best you can be.
Want to learn more about keeping healthy? Browse our website for tons of tips and tricks!
