Fitness is something that often scares people off, and you may be one of those people, however it is so necessary to living a long and healthy life. According the the American government, the leading cause of death in the United States is heart disease. Over 600,000 people every year die because of something wrong with their cardiovascular system.
This means two things, that people are not eating very healthy, but they are also not working out. Working out has been proven time and time again to have so many benefits, the largest of them being your health.
That being said, there are so many more advantages to working out other than having a healthy heart, as working out can change many aspects of your life. Exercise can increase your productivity, your energy levels, weight loss, concentration and ability to do certain activities. Thus, exercise can drastically improve your performance at work, your engagement in your family and your attention to detail.
It is really hard to find time to exercise, and even harder to find the motivation, but it really does pay off in the end. You will have the ability and the energy to do whatever you want, ultimately making you happier.
Also, the thing about working out, especially if you aren’t in great shape before, is that you need to start small. It’s frustrating because you won’t see immediate results, instead the results are gradual, and take time to come forward. If you start small you reduce the risk of injury, and you can also gain some confidence in doing those exercises before you take them to the next level.
In terms of the different workouts that you can do, the possibilities are endless, you can re-introduce yourself to the sport you loved in high-school, you can try something brand new, you can do high intensity like train for a marathon, or you can do low intensity such as yoga. You can run, walk, bike, swim, or play, there really is no limit to what you can do. What’s important is that you choose something and stick with it. So in terms of motivation you may not want to buy a gym membership. Most gyms don’t actually make money on the people that use the membership, they make money on the people who buy a membership and don’t go. This is because self-motivation is a really hard thing to do, so instead maybe join a class, something with a set time that you need to schedule and attend on a regular basis.
Good examples of classes that you can take are: pilates, zumba, yoga, spin, dance, or a boot camp. These things will help you keep your motivation, but will also allow you to stay social and meet new people taking those classes.
Another great thing about exercise is that it is an appetite suppressant. You still want to get your essential nutrients, and adequate sustenance to keep your energy up all day, but you also won’t be drawn to faty and sugary foods in the same way. This will allow you to burn fat, and lose weight at an expedited speed.
Speaking of food, the relationship between exercise and your diet is very strong. What you eat dictates what you will be able to physically achieve, and you do physically will also help you curb those sugar or salt cravings. The best thing that you can do to prepare for a workout, or to maintain a healthy lifestyle is to drink LOTS of water, we’re talking 8 glasses a day, eat lots of green vegetables, and also consume some high-quality lean proteins (this can be chicken, fish, beans etc.) These things will give you the most amount of energy going into a workout, and also recovering from one.
At the end of the day, exercise is something that you absolutely need to live a good and healthy life. It will allow you to do so much more, not just activity wise, but at work and in the home as well.