If you’re anything like the majority of the population you find it hard to get yourself to the gym every day. We are bombarded with messages of weight loss, but for some, that is not enough to get us motivated and into motion. I have good news if you fall into that category. My research has revealed to me a multitude of reasons why getting your workout on goes way beyond just having a slender waistline. Getting into your fitness has the potential to transform your mind, body, and spirit. Once you review the evidence it will become apparent that exercise is a must for anyone trying to take their life to the next level. So, today I bring you 5 reasons why exercise is integral to a happy and fulfilling life.
1. You Call The Shots
Life is full of ever-changing variables. We have no control over the weather, the state of the economy, or the unexpected emergency that always seems to pop up. What we do have control over is getting up and working out. It doesn’t have to consist of you dragging yourself to the gym and piddling around like you know what you’re doing, just to say you went.
You can turn on some music and have a dance break in your room for thirty minutes if you like. The point is, you have complete control over whether or not you get your physical fix in for the day and that simple fact has more power than you acknowledge.
In this life where we have unfair bosses, unruly children, disobedient pets, unpredictable weather, and questionable lawmakers, knowing that you have control over something in your life will help you feel empowered, in charge, and ready to tackle those other less controllable aspects in your life.
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2. Affects Your Mental Game
While exercise is attributed to giving you a better body, it also has a huge effect on your mind as well. When you get your workout on, you are helping your brain in a huge way. Exercise has been linked to minimizing the effects of ADD, ADHD, and depression in both children and adults. You can even make better decisions during the day after having a morning session of physical fitness.
When we are faced with stressful situations our body has a fight or flight response that releases stress hormones in our bodies such as cortisol or norepinephrine. If those hormones are not utilized (i.e. sitting at a desk reading stressful emails for 8 hours), it simply remains in our system causing us more harm than good.
Having high levels of cortisol, for example, circulating within your bloodstream for an extended amount of time can result in all kinds of health issues, several of which are directly related to your brain functions.
You can easily avoid having high levels of stress hormones in your body by having a daily routine of working out and getting yourself moving. Studies have also shown by working out regularly you are able to improve your memory, make better decisions and become more creative. How is that for upgrading your mental game!?
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3. Major Breakthroughs
Sports, physical challenges, and athleticism, in general, are all wonderful because they push you to excel to new personal heights. Things that were last year’s limits become today’s triumphs.
When you work out and get into your fitness, you tap into the potential to raise your level of performance in every aspect of your life. In no other realm can you see results as fast as you can in athletic pursuits.
Want to run a marathon? You may not even be a runner, but if you start off slow, you can go from running half a mile to running 26 consecutive miles. That is impressive!
You’re essentially reinventing yourself when you conquer that goal and that is a huge feat. If you are able to go from a non-runner to a runner, like in the example, you begin to see that anything is possible if you put your mind to it.
In sports and physical feats, the game becomes very mental as your push your physical body past existing barriers. When you practice every day, pushing yourself mentally and physically, digging deep to really get the results you want, there is no way that that same drive and determination won’t seep into your everyday personal and professional life as well.
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4. Boost Confidence
When you break through to new heights, doing the thing you thought wasn’t possible your whole scope expands. You start dreaming a bigger dream and getting bigger and better goals for yourself. Helloooo confidence booster! This is where it starts getting fun and is very important to life transformation. Sure, you may enjoy your new fabulous physique and radiant glow, but the boost in your self-esteem is one of the intangible benefits that make all of your hard work worthwhile.
People are always asking me how they can boost their self-esteem and confidence, which is an invisible force, but so important to leading a happy life. Well, creating a regular workout schedule is a great way to go. When you’re consistent with something in your ever-changing life, you feel good about the fact that you can follow through with something.
If you really want a turbo boost, sign yourself up for a physical fitness challenge of some kind. You can sign up for a local marathon, get a 30-day trial at a yoga studio, sign up for Crossfit, get into the Insanity challenge, join a sports team, or anything else that piques your interest. Couple that with a healthy eating or nutrition program and you’re on your way!
The point is to get into something, set a goal, and do it for a set amount of time (I recommend 30 or 60 days for maximum results). When you come out at end of your challenge and have actually achieved your goal, you will have confidence in your abilities and you will feel like you’re on top of the world!
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5) The Best Version of YOU
I am not into being a stick figure or starving myself. Where I come from we eat, we love our food (keep it healthy of course!) and curves don’t hurt anybody. If you’re are in the same school of thought, you still should make fitness part of your weekly routine. For me, my motivation to work out is about being the best version of myself overall.
That is what we should be waking up and asking ourselves every day, “How can I be the best version of myself, today?”. Getting your physical fitness on is an integral part of that. When you work out regularly you are awarded:
More energy
Better Mood (due to the rise in dopamine levels)
Optimal functioning of internal organs
Improved physical appearance
Efficient immune system
Better eating habits (to help fuel your workouts)
Weight loss
A sharper mind
Agility….
… and the list goes on and on. So if you are trying to be the best version of yourself every day, I strongly suggest incorporating a physical fitness routine into your schedule. You will be so happy that you did!
What are your views on working out? Do you believe it affects the rest of your life or do you believe it’s not really necessary? Let me know in the comments below!
