Body Composition: Some people exercise to lose fat and some people exercise to build muscle. For many, no matter how much they exercise, their bodies stay exactly the same.
If changing body composition is a goal of yours, that’s fine, just remember 1) you can’t control this with exercise alone, and 2) physical activity plays other very important roles in our lives.
Physical Health: Exercise is important for helping our bodies function properly and reducing our risk of chronic disease. It helps build muscle and helps keep your bones healthy.
For those of us interested in performance, a consistent exercise program can help us improve speed, strength, and endurance.
Community: I know that some people don’t view this as a benefit of exercise but fitness has made a huge impact on my social life as an adult. Not only can a fitness community make exercise less boring, you never know who you’ll meet at a run or workout class.
Mental Health: Did you know that running for 15 minutes or walking for 1-hour can reduce symptoms of depression by 26%? Exercise has also been documented to boost mood, reduce anxiety, and improve self-esteem.
Sleep: Some people find that even low-impact exercise like yoga or walking the dog improves sleep patterns. If you can’t commit to an intense workout, try stretching before bed and see if it helps!
Sex: Research shows that exercise may boost sexual desire and sex drive. Enough said.
Brain Function: The cognitive and neurological benefits of exercise have been well documented. We know that movement helps us feel less foggy, improves our memory, and even creates new brain cells.
, if you ever feel like exercise isn’t working because you’re not seeing a change in how your body looks, remember, body composition isn’t the only measure of success in an exercise program.
Keep up the great work and continue to celebrate your body and all the amazing things that it does for you during each and every workout.
