5 Must-Know Reasons to Exercise and it’s not just for weight loss!

We all know we should take regular exercise, right? We know that exercise can help us achieve our weight loss goals, but there are many other benefits of getting your pulse racing…here’s my top 5:

 1. Exercise Boosts Metabolism

If your weight loss regime includes regular exercise then you will be increasing your basal metabolic rate (BMR), this is the amount of calories you would use up in a day even if you lay in bed (not that I’m recommending it!).

Wow, if this is what exercise does for you I'm starting immediately!

Every time you exercise you burn fat and calories and boost your metabolism. By exercising regularly you are telling your body that it needs extra energy for the day so it starts burning up excess fuel, i.e. stored fat!

2. Exercise allows you to eat more

To lose weight we need to create a calorie deficit, we need to consume less calories than we burn in a day. To create this calorie deficit we reduce the calories we eat by going on some form of diet. But if we look at the other side of the equation, if we exercise and burn off more calories then we can either lose weight quickly or we can allow ourselves to eat a little bit more and still achieve steady weight loss.

3. Energy Booster

Regular exercise gives you more energy throughout your day. I am not a morning person but if I start my day with a workout then I definitely feel more energized and alert throughout the rest of the day. When we exercise chemicals called endorphins are released into our bloodstream, these can leave us feeling exhilarated and give us that much needed boost to go about our daily lives. You may feel exhausted straight after you’ve exercised but this is a good sign you’ve worked your body hard, rest assured as soon as you get out of that shower you’ll feel better for it!

4. Build your brain

Studies have shown that regular exercise can boost your brain power! When we exercise a chemical called serotonin is released in the brain, this keeps you mentally alert. Active people who exercise regularly tend to be more productive at home and at work.

5. Relieve Stress

Studies have shown that stress may cause weight gain, need more motivation than that to seek some stress relief?! Our body releases a stress hormone called cortisol when we are stressed, this leads to all sorts of changes in your fat and carbohydrate metabolism and stimulates the release of insulin which controls your blood sugars, and the up shot is you end up with an increased appetite. So now you know why you may eat more and gain weight when you are stressed, upset or anxious. Exercise is a great stress reliever, it doesn’t have to be running a marathon, start slowly with something manageable, a 30 minute walk around the block will do wonders for you.

So there you have it, now you’ve got me and the little devil on your shoulder telling you that you need to exercise! Find something that you enjoy, walking the dog, playing with the kids in the park, taking up ballroom dancing, whatever takes your fancy. It doesn’t matter what you do as long as it gets your heart pumping and that you get out there and do it! OK I’ve got to go now…I’ve got a date with the gym, or is that Jim?

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