As the fall falls upon us the air outside is getting cooler. Many people move indoors and spend a lot more time sitting around. Many people let the cold weather affect their exercising habits. It shouldn’t have to. Exercising is something everyone should do because it’s healthy and has plenty of beneficial aspects. For many people fall can be a sad time, and people feel like they’re lagging during fall. For students mid-fall bring mid-terms which can be very stressful. Especially around the holiday times, stress skyrockets for people. Exercising can reduce all your problems during this time!
Exercising is very beneficial not only for physical health but mental health as well. According to the CDC, there are plenty of physical benefits from exercising. It controls you weight, reduces your risk for diabetes and cardiovascular disease, strengthens your bones and muscles. They also state that exercise can “help keep your thinking, learning, and judgment skills sharp as you age. It can also reduce your risk of depression and may help you sleep better.” Exercise can also reduce anxiety, help control addiction, and reduce stress. Exercise increases concentrations of norepinephrine, a chemical that can moderate the brain’s response to stress. Exercise is good for your body all around!
It benefits your mental health as well as your emotional health. If you’ve ever ran or done a quick strenuous activity, you understand the phrase “Runners High”. This is when you are working your body so hard, that the amount of endorphins produced by your brain gives you a feeling of euphoria. Even if you aren’t running, every time you exercise your brain produces endorphins. Endorphins are the feel good chemical, thus when being released, make you feel really good. Exercising makes you feel really good.
Regular exercise can also improve your energy levels. Be exercising, your training your body to deliver oxygen more efficiently to you muscles and tissues. When this improves, you have more energy to tackle daily chores.
Your exercise routine does not have to be a vigorous workout. It just has to be consistent and enough movement to get your body going. Taking 30 minutes out of your day to take a walk around the neighborhood, or walk on a treadmill, or even to bike on an inside bike or bike a trail outside, is a good exercise routine. You can also mix up your routines. One day you can bike for an hour and the next walk for 30 minutes. As long as you are moving and working your muscles.
Exercising is one of the things in life that is here to help up. 30 minutes a day on a treadmill can make the whole day better for someone. Exercising should not be something that we have to do or dead to do, but something that we want to do. Something we enjoy doing because we know how much better we will be if we actually do it.
So get out there! Even if it’s on a stationary bike, or a P90X session in your living room, get moving!
