by Mianna Korben
Today, there’s no denying that the majority of us is guilty of not spending enough time being physically active. While it is true that the world we currently live in and our respective lifestyles can make it difficult to squeeze in that half an hour of cardio each day, staying fit and active is far from impossible, even with work deadlines looming ahead and more than enough professional and personal responsibilities on your plate.
Embracing fitness can be done in countless ways so everyone can find an activity they will find enjoyable enough to keep practicing. No more excuses – here are some of the reasons why it would be beneficial for you to make physical activity and fitness an integral part of your daily routine.
Routines Keep Us Going
Before we jump into the obvious benefits of fitness, we should say a few words on the concept of routines. Essentially, humans are “creatures of routine”. Our days consist of these repeated activities, and they serve the important purpose of creating our mood and putting our body in the state required for each of our routine activities.
Without making it a routine, it would be impossible to leverage the benefits of exercise – unless you integrate this activity into your daily schedule, you will keep putting it off and end up skipping more sessions than you should. So, decide for yourself – when is the time you could most seamlessly incorporate exercise into your day?
Perhaps a quick workout in the morning to wake you up? Or a jog to your workplace? Perhaps letting off some steam on your way home after a hard day at work? Whichever you choose, make sure you keep yourself to it and it will be easy to maintain the habit after a while.
It Gives You So Many Health Benefits
No one can argue the sheer extent to which regular exercise will improve your health. The list is simply too long to elaborate here, but to give you an idea, some of the health benefits of exercise include the following:
- Helps build bone density and lower the risk of osteoporosis down the line
- Protects you from chronic diseases and health issues such as diabetes, heart disease and heart attack, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, arthritis, stroke, etc.
- Promotes brain health
- Strengthens muscles and joints
- Gives you more energy and boosts your productivity
And the list goes on. However, just occasional workout sessions will not do the trick. Consistency is key, and it is recommended that you incorporate 30 minutes of exercise into your daily routine to make the most of it.
Better Fitness and Endurance
Even if your health is in spick and span shape, everyone can do with a little boost in their overall fitness and level of endurance. If you’re generally healthy but find yourself out of breath after climbing a few flights of stairs, perhaps you should work on improving your endurance to also improve your well-being and quality of life.
While it might not bother you right now, in time, whether you have or have not been exercising regularly, it will make a huge difference. Just think of those elderly people that you can spot long-distance running even in their sixties! Not such a bad outlook, right?
Start working on yourself today and you will stay fit well into your old age. Being fit will also come in handy trying to catch that train you would have otherwise missed, had you not been working out regularly!
Means of Transport as Well as Recreation
Incorporating fitness activities into your daily routine does not have to entail a gym or expensive indoor equipment. In fact, incorporating something fun that you actually enjoy or something that will prove to be useful for you will make your boring days a bit more colorful. For instance, if you’ve always loved dancing, who says your daily exercise can’t be blowing off steam at a Zumba class?
Dancing is one of the most beneficial physical activities out there, and doing it every day will help not only your body but your mind as well – not to mention you will get so many chances to socialize and make new friends.
If you feel like you are not spending nearly enough time away from technology and in nature, daily nature walks or jogs will improve your mood immensely.
So, if there is a park near your home or workplace, make it a point to go there every day. If you’re tired of being stuck in traffic while commuting and want to make the most of your time by combining your daily commute with exercise, a bicycle or, if we’re talking about a longer distance, one of the modern electric bikes will be a good change of pace.
This is also a great option for those who are not so keen on generic gym exercises. All in all, it’s worth incorporating one of these physical activities into your day both for practical and recreational purposes.
An Improved Appearance
Due to the same reasons mentioned in the beginning, a lot of people struggle with weight issues and, consequently, self-image issues. Oftentimes, dieting does not lead to the desired goal and extreme diets are not recommended so as not to harm your health in the process.
Taking up daily exercise is the best course of action if you wish to shave off those excess pounds, and making it a habit instead of a temporary means of reaching your goal weight is the key to success and a healthier lifestyle in the long run.
Fitting into your old jeans and being able to wear your bikinis proudly is just a bonus.
Reduced Stress…
Stress is often referred to as an “epidemic” of the 21stcentury, and almost all people are exposed to some kind of stress through their work or personal problems. Some might take this better than others, but what’s sure is that the negative health effects of stress are too severe to ignore.
Unfortunately, you can’t just quit your job to eliminate the stressor from your life as it would just create more stress, but what you can and should do is find ways of dealing with stress to minimize its effects. It has been proven time and time again that exercise is one of the best ways for that.
In the simplest terms, physical activity releases those “feel good” neurotransmitters, but besides that, it simply takes your mind off things while you are immersed in the movements that it involves.
…and Better Mental Health
Besides reducing stress, physical activity benefits your mental well-being on several other fronts. Firstly, by improving your body’s appearance, it is bound to better your self-image, make you more confident and overall happier with yourself.
But that is just the tip of the iceberg. Exercising and reaching certain fitness goals will also fill you with a sense of achievement, and seeing your progress every day if you stay faithful to your routine will further motivate you to do even better.
In the same way exercise helps with stress management, it helps with depression and anxiety as well, so even as a preventative measure, a bit of exercise can help you stay sound mentally.
Better Sleep and Stronger Immunity
Alongside better mental health, regular physical activity will also put your sleep back on track. If you’ve been dealing with insomnia or constant tiredness, taking care of your fitness needs might just solve these problems for you.
Paired with getting all the quality sleep you need, exercise has been shown to improve one’s immunity as well. These two notions are closely related, just as everything else in your organism, so one is a necessary prerequisite for the other to work well and to strike a balance that will enable you to function well.
However, be aware that pushing your workout all the way to before your bedtime might have an opposite effect as the adrenaline created with physical activity will make it difficult for your body to switch off. Therefore, make sure you plan your day wisely!
To conclude, it is more than apparent that exercise should be an essential part of the daily routine of everyone who is aiming to lead a long and healthy life well into old age. From steering clear of many serious health conditions such as heart disease through improving your productivity and mood all the way to relieving stress, having fun and reaching an overall balanced lifestyle, this little change will improve your life on many fronts.
If, even after reading all of this, you are not positive that you can convince yourself to run on a treadmill every day or do aerobic exercises, consider alternatives such as power walking or the aforementioned biking and you will learn that exercise is what you make it to be.
The most important thing is not to stop doing it after a week or two but to naturally make it a part of your lifestyle. Good luck!
(Mianna Korben is a writer with a passion for anything that will help her improve her life, wellbeing and set her on a path to success. She is an avid reader, coffee drinker and fitness enthusiast. When she’s not wordsmithing, she also enjoys travel and staying active.)
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