I have always been an active person. I grew up playing sports in grade school and then once I decided to stop perusing competitive sports, I was involved in a 2-month long internship at a Barre3 studio – which consists of Pilates, dance, yoga and strength control. Now, I continue to stay active daily whether it’s going on walks with friends, taking a hike, working out in the gym or as simple as moving around consistently at my job. I’ve realized staying active in some way changes my entire mood throughout my day, I feel happier and more motivated; while when I have my days where I am not active, I feel more sluggish and unmotivated. Major benefits I have noticed in myself from staying active include – bettering my mood/emotions, preventing certain health issues, giving me a natural boost of energy, increases your chances of living longer, controls your weight, and decreases stress levels.
- Exercising betters my mood
Ever feeling down in the morning, or unmotivated? Get that workout in or go for a nice jog! Exercising causes endorphins and endorphins are natural mood lifters, this is a fact. Exercising improves your sleep and I’m sure we all know firsthand that, if we don’t get enough sleep, we will NOT be in a good mood. Whenever I am down, or need to put my mind at ease, I can always count on improving my mood by doing a quick workout. It could be anything from a 20-minute to an hour-long form of activity that I can always count on putting me in a better state of mind.
- Exercising prevents health issues
Believe it or not, exercising can prevent health issues you could genetically be at risk for such as – cardiovascular disease, some types of cancer, type 2 diabetes, and so much more. After years of experience in staying active, I have concluded exercising or staying active daily has kept me healthy in a bunch of ways – my metabolism has been steady at a consistent rate, I rarely catch any sort of cold/sickness, and my asthma (that I’ve dealt with ever since I was a child) has improved immensely.
- Exercising gives me a more natural boost of energy
After that all-nighter finishing your homework at the last minute, instead of having that cup of coffee in the morning, try getting in a quick workout for a healthier and more natural boost of energy! Exercising regularly can improve your muscle strength and boost your endurance, which boosts oxygen circulation that leads to improving your heart and lung health, giving you more energy in your day. Once I have finished exercising, I always feel energized throughout my day. For this reason, I try to get my form of exercise done in the mornings so I can feel energized throughout the day.
- Exercising increases your chances of living longer
Did you know if you take 150 minutes of exercise or more each week, your life expectancy increases by 7 years? It’s true! Science has multiple reports that daily activeness can reduce your risk of dying early from leading causes to death such as certain heart diseases and types of cancer. Regular, or even moderate activities such as brisk walks, or taking the stairs over that elevator have been associated with increasing life expectancy.
- Exercising controls your weight
If you are somebody that is trying to shed a few pounds, exercising (and of course a healthy relationship with food), is your go-to option. Even if you’re only trying to maintain your weight and keep it at a steady level, exercising would still be the only option for your healthy lifestyle. Fitting in a trip to the gym on a day-to-day basis can be difficult at times so, just try to stay active by doing the little things such as – taking the stairs instead of the elevator or adding some more home chores to your agenda. Anything that keeps you moving around works just fine, remember consistency is key!
- Exercising decreases stress levels
Being a college student, I know (and my peers) know better than anyone how crucial it is to do anything in our power to relieve some of that extra stress we carry around. Getting in some good quality physical activity can play a huge role in decreasing our stress levels. That is why I prioritize being active in some way daily while I am at school, this helps relieve my stress and make me feel calmer throughout my day. Studies show the mental benefits of aerobic exercise have a neurochemical basis. Exercise reduces levels of the body’s stress hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol. It also stimulates the production of endorphins, chemicals in the brain that are the body’s natural painkillers and mood elevators.
Major benefits I have noticed in myself from staying active include – bettering my mood/emotions, preventing certain health issues, giving me a natural boost of energy, increases your chances of living longer, and controls your weight. Exercising is clinically proven to better your mood due to the endorphins that run throughout your body during and after being physically active! Being active also helps prevent health issues that could run in your genetics so, if you need to better your health or try to avoid health problems, exercising is a great choice. Instead of drinking that cup of coffee in the morning, try to get in some exercise to start off your day for that natural energy boost (it works, I promise). Due to exercising and how it prevents certain health issues, this causes you to live a longer and healthier life. To add to that, science has multiple reports that daily activeness can reduce your risk of dying early from leading causes to death such as certain heart diseases and types of cancer. Lastly, exercising is a great way to decrease stress levels; and us college students go through so much stress over school, jobs, friends, relationships, and more. Exercising is my one healthy escape from the madness that I deal with daily.
