It’s 6 a.m. the alarm clock rings, Mary does not want to get up, but she does. She brushes her teeth, washes her face, laces up her worn tennis shoes and heads out her front door. She stretches a minute to warm up her achy bones and then proceeds with a little piddle down the street. She is still half asleep as she turns the first block, but just then she can feel her body getting warm, her blood begins to circulate through her veins. The cool breeze hits her hair, ah, she is invigorated; the road is hers for the taking. She accelerates a bit faster as she thinks, “this is why I woke up this morning.” She is absolutely in love with his morning run.
There are three reasons why Mary continues to flirt with fitness. First, it makes her feel good. Second, it makes her feel young. Third, she cherishes the health benefits.
- LOVE… FEELING GOOD
Exercise makes you feel good because it actually reduces stress. Not only is your body involved in exercise, but your brain is too. When you exercise, feel good chemicals that help ease stress and depression are released, mainly endorphins. Also, exercise is a positive distraction that can help take your mind off of worries, and who doesn’t have those? From a physical standpoint, your body temperature increases during exercise possibly producing calming effects that make you feel good. There are other psychological and emotional benefits too, such as improved confidence and self esteem. All around, from a mind and body prospective, exercise makes you feel darn good!
- LOVE… FEELING YOUNG
Do you feel old at forty? Are you out of breath after climbing a few stairs? Don’t sit back and let the aging process have its way with you. Here is a little secret; exercise just may be the elusive fountain of youth. Why? Because, it has the ability to help you stay younger longer! Stiff, achy joints, loss of stamina, loss of endurance and strength, are usually associated with a lack of regular physical activity. In other words, a sedentary lifestyle is hazardous to your health. You can stay feeling young and vigorous by maintaining your body with a regular fitness routine. If you are not currently engaged in regular exercise, it is not too late! Muscle mass can increase at any age in response to exercise. The fact is, as a person ages, endurance, balance, flexibility, and strength naturally decline, but it accelerates at a rapid pace if we do not do anything to counteract those effects. If you use it, you won’t lose it…so start exercising now to feel younger!
- LOVE… THE HEALTH BENEFITS
You have heard it all before. You know that exercise is good for you; but, this time, take a minute and really meditate on the benefits. Pause and imagine these benefits being part of your daily life. Imagine not being tired, sluggish, stressed, overwhelmed, or overweight. Imagine feeling great every day, having energy, feeling strong and confident. Imagine having excellent flexibility and stamina. Imagine keeping up with your kids, or grand kids. Those are the many benefits of exercise.
While you are engaging your imagination, imagine the vanity reasons for exercise (a strong motivator for most). A fit person can go shopping and pick out clothes that fit so nicely, they can tuck in their shirt and wear a belt, they can bear their nice arms in a muscle shirt, and, yes, they can wear a bathing suit proudly. Those are just a few added perks of being in shape.
If you have ever participated in an ongoing fitness program, you have probably felt like Mary; you know how awesome it feels to be fit! If you don’t feel that way right now or have never felt that way, why not join Mary now. Go ahead; get started today! Fall in love with fitness and you too will love feeling good, love feeling young, and love feeling all the health benefits that a fit lifestyle has to offer.
Inspire Health TIP:
A well rounded fitness routine will produce the greatest results. Your routine should include these four things:
- Aerobic (cardiovascular exercise)
- Anaerobic (strength training exercise)
- Stretching
- Healthy diet
