5 Reasons to Work Out
There are countless reasons for why you should be working out. And by working out I don’t necessarily mean going to the gym. It’s more about being physically active and that can range from running to Zumba classes, Crossfit, weightlifting, to team sports. But let’s just look at 5 basic ones that should be motivation enough to get you off the couch.
1. Health benefits
Ok, let’s start with the most obvious benefit. Taking your health for granted is a common fallacy most of us fall for until we suffer injuries or health issues that restrict us or when we encounter people who are not blessed with good health. Regular exercising can help you improve your body composition (e.g. lower body fat, more lean muscle mass etc.), regular blood sugar level, reduce risk of cardiovascular disease and reduce overall stress levels. Engaging in physical activity helps you burn calories which then reduces your risk of gaining body fat. You don’t need to work out for hours every day but even 2 to 3 times for around 30 minutes will do to reap the benefits.
2. It makes you happy
A tough workout can be exhausting and all you want to do is just eat and sleep. But what it also does is it triggers the release of serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine in the hippocampus (a part of your brain). In layman terms, that means you feel happy. It helps you forgot about your bad day or week and improves your mood. On the more serious side, it can also help manage depression.
3. It helps developing mental strength
That one hour at the gym is the best way to forget about work, stress at home or whatever causes anxiety. It clears your mind, gives you time to focus on the here and now. The best is to even leave your phone in the locker but if that’s not possible (because you want to record your work out or take pictures/videos) at least ignore any kind of notification, message and calls.
More importantly though, during your workouts you will be exhausted and hit plateaus frequently. That’s where you have to flex your mental muscles and push through. You stick to your diet, your workout and routine and you learn to push to the next level and overcome the obstacles. Once you experienced the success of lifting the weight you couldn’t lift before or fit into your favorite pants that got too tight recently, you can transfer the discipline it took you to achieve this into other areas of your life. The struggle at the gym is a struggle between your inner voice telling you to give up and your discipline helping you stay on course.
4. It’s “me time”
With all of us being busy, that one hour at the gym (or 30 minutes or whatever your usual time is) is time that is 100% for you and no one else. If you choose to workout before work, it’s perfect to prepare for the day. Think about what you have to tackle during the day and week and what your priorities are. If you prefer finishing your day with a good workout, you can use it to reflect not he day, what went well, what didn’t and what you have to do the next day. For me personally, the gym is a great place to release all the frustration and anger.
5. It trickles into other areas of your life
Exercising regularly has a trickle effect into other areas of your life. Once you get off the couch and start being physically active, you will start graving more healthy food and your diet will improve. If you are smoking, it might give you that extra push to finally quit smoking or at least reduce it, the same goes for excessive alcohol consumption. The discipline you acquired during your workouts will also be applicable in other areas of your life such as work and your confidence will help you get ahead in your relationships and at work. Working out is such a fundamental habit and the best place to start if you are looking to improve the quality of your life.
There is absolutely no downside to working out. There is no bad workout except the one that didn’t happen.