People have been told for centuries that exercise is good for them. While there is a large part of the population that likes to ignore this fact, there is another part of the population that wholeheartedly believes this to be a truth that must be unwavered from. Extreme fitness is most definitely a lifestyle. Some people spend upwards of 2 hours at the gym a day, and some people just can’t commit that kind of time.
There are two ends of the spectrum-one end is extreme and dreams of looking like Arnold Schwarzenegger or a Hollywood bombshell, the other end wants nothing to do with exercise. It’s understandable. Exercise is painful. How is it natural and good for you to inflict the kind of pain on yourself that exercise brings?
Whether you’re a fitness freak, or a person that dreams of working out but hates it, here is what exercise is really doing for you:
It Makes You Live Longer
The science behind exercise is seemingly never ending and everyone seems to have a different opinion on what is healthy and not healthy for you. Running is too hard on your joints, crunches are too hard on your back, and too much exercise won’t allow your body to recover. Everyone is different! The point of the matter is that any exercise will greatly improve your physiology and help you live longer.
It Gives You Mental Clarity
Have you ever been in a fog while trying to get work done and decided that you need to get up and get moving or go on a brisk walk in the cool air outside to get the blood flowing again? The reason you naturally want to move is because you were designed for it.
When you sit still or are in the same position for too long, your body will have similar effects to when astronauts go to space and their muscles deteriorate rapidly because there is no gravity. For you, the process is just slower. The movement of blood stimulates every single function in the body. Why exactly exercise clears the brain is unsure, but it’s definitely known to work. That’s what’s important.
It Gives You an Outlet
No matter what is going on in your life, exercise is a needed outlet to get out stress. For people struggling with things like addiction, exercise is a life saver because it helps them cope in a healthy way. Not only are they boosting their endorphin levels, they’re also focusing on something else that is meant to benefit them and build them up to be better individuals in all aspects. Everyone needs an outlet. You don’t have to think when you workout. You just do, and you feel great afterwards.