Most people are aware that they should get regular exercise throughout the week, but it’s often hard to stay motivated to put on your workout gear. Taking a look at these six reasons why exercising can improve your quality of life might be the boost you need to head to your local gym.
1- Reduce Your Risk for Chronic Diseases
Diabetes and heart disease are two major health conditions that can impact your quality of life. Having high blood sugar can impact your vision and lower your immune system. Heart disease can rob your body of the oxygen it needs to stay healthy. Exercising helps to boost blood flow through your body and manage glucose levels.
2- Lift the Clouds of Depression
Dealing with poor mental health can make it harder to drum up the energy to work out. But, you’ll find that exercising releases endorphins that naturally make you feel better. Exercise is also proven to help with anxiety and other mental health conditions when you engage in workouts regularly.
3- Maintain Strong Bones
Exercising is well-known for building muscles. But, you’ll also want to consider how your favorite workouts can help you to maintain bone mass as you age. Using weights during your exercise routine challenges the bones to stay strong, which could potentially help to stave off osteoporosis that leads to major fractures as a senior.
4- Make Daily Activities Easier
Pushing your body to work hard on a regular basis helps make it easier to do essential things such as carry in your groceries. When your body is used to raising its heart rate during an active workout, it’ll also be easier to walk longer distances. From easing the pain of arthritis to improving your flexibility to reach a high shelf, you’ll discover that regular visits to the gym make life simpler.
5- Prevent Injuries That Hold You Back
Broken bones aren’t the only thing that exercise helps to prevent. Many forms of exercise help to improve your flexibility and keep joints limber. This is especially important for older adults, but younger people can also benefit from stretching their muscles and ligaments each day. To improve your flexibility, consider taking a yoga or Pilates class at your local gym.
6- Enjoy Better Sleep
Tossing and turning all night can make for a very grumpy morning. A lack of sleep also puts you at risk of having more accidents, and your mental health can suffer from not getting enough rest. Exercising helps to tire out your body and mind so that you can sleep better at night. For the best results, head to the gym at least a few hours before your bedtime. This allows your body time to cool down before you go to sleep.
When you start planning your exercise routine, remember to choose options that make working out easy. Eliminating barriers such as having to sweat outdoors in the summer heat means that you’ll be more likely to follow through with the plan. Try to remember that making your workouts fun can enhance the benefits by elevating your mood and helping to expand your social circle.