We all know that exercise is essential to looking and feeling our best, but when you get into the nitty-gritty details, you’ll discover why exercise is important for wellness (and for a lot of other reasons, too!).
Love it or loathe it, exercise is essential.
First, let’s talk about moving your body.
We’ve heard time and time again about the importance of getting up and moving, and to avoid sitting for long periods of time – sitting at your desk too long can allegedly increase the risk of cardiovascular issues and cancer, while sitting in a plane seat for too long is said to cause blood clots and deep vein thrombosis – but did you know that there are other reasons why our body needs movement?
Our Bodies Are Designed To Be Active
Thinking back to the start of the human race, we know for a fact that humans weren’t sitting at desks or lounging around for long periods of time. Throughout evolution, our bodies have adapted to suit walking long distances and hunting animals – when you compare that lifestyle to our largely sedentary one today, you can begin to understand why movement is so integral to our body’s function.
Moving Is Good For Our Mental Health
From stimulating our muscles and strengthening our bones and joints, to releasing useful endorphins and hormones, there are plenty of reasons why we should always make time to move. Mentally, exercise has been said to prevent depression and anxiety, while also boosting our energy and our metabolisms. (Psychology Today)
Look For Small Ways To Re-Introduce Exercise
Walking instead of driving to your local coffee spot or going outside to eat your lunch rather than having it at your desk are some small ways you can start bringing movement back into your life, but you should also find time for regular exercise, whether it’s at home or at the gym.
Different Exercises Deliver Different Benefits
While it’s true that any kind of exercise is better than no exercise at all, certain workouts can offer different benefits.
Fast, high-intensity workouts are said to boost your metabolism better than any other form of exercise, while also improving your ability to consume oxygen and reduce your heart rate, blood pressure and blood sugar.
Slow exercises, on the other hand – like yoga & pilates and stretching, swimming, walking and certain types of weight training – can help you build a good base for your fitness, focus on your muscle groups and even burn more fat by allowing more oxygen into your body.
Both exercise types require regular commitment, so it pays to be able to workout anywhere, any time. Whether you’re at home, in the office or in the park, investing in certain pieces of home exercise equipment could really help you up the exercise ante – and maybe even enjoy it!
Try different kinds of home exercise, whether that means purchasing a yoga mat or a Pilates mat and a dedicated app, or going for a walk or jog around your city. Use fitness trackers to measure your performance over time (this can often be the best way to motivate yourself to keep up your routine!) and invest in some massagers and muscle relaxers for natural pain relief to ease yourself back into regular workouts.