So summer is (unfortunately) winding down….
This sadly means that a lot of people are losing the ‘bikini body’ motivation to get exercising, while at the same time, the weather is about to make being outdoors and active more and more difficult.
I figure it’s about time for a reminder as to why you should be exercising daily — despite not wearing a bikini.
We all know exercise just makes us feel good. If I don’t exercise for a couple of days, I feel sluggish and just ‘bleh,’ as I’m sure you all do too.
I thought I would write out a list of the top 5 reasons to exercise, so that when you’re not feeling that motivation you can look to this list and remember the real reasons why you exercise.
1. Disease prevention. So many chronic diseases originate due to an imbalance of the bacteria in your gut (go figure, right?). New research has just shown that exercise can actually change your gut bacteria, promoting the ‘good’ bacteria over the bad! This means that it has a direct effect on your body’s inflammation and vulnerability to inflammatory chronic diseases (not to mention the wonders it does for your heart strength/health and the several other roles it plays in disease prevention).
2. Happiness. Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make people happy. (‘…and happy people just don’t shoot their husbands!’) Exercise has been proven to give people more energy throughout the day. This, along with the boost of endorphins, improve well-being and mood!
3. Brain Improvements. So the endorphins released when we exercise not only improve mood, but also improve cognitive function. They clear your mind, making you think more efficiently. So, exercising before a big exam or presentation, or any situation in which being sharp and alert is key, is super beneficial. (I mean, it is part of the HUSTLE requirements!)
4. Sleeeep. I don’t know about you, but I sleep so much better when I exercise that day. You know how exercise gives you more energy? Well, this causes you to burn up your energy during the day being more active and alert. This makes you more sleepy when it actually comes time to go to sleep. (For more sleeping info… 1 // 2)
5. Pain tolerance. Research has recently suggested that exercise improves pain tolerance. This could make it not only a great preventative measure for disease and pain, but a treatment for chronic pain. Have a bad knee? Get headaches? Sore back? Even just cardio a couple times a week can help alleviate this pain, making you more resilient to the negative effects of chronic injuries or pain.
Still think a bikini is the only reason to work out?
xo
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