Most of us feel like we “should” be doing some exercise. But why do we feel this way? Susan from work (or other gym enthusiast colleague) says there is a whole host of benefits, but they all seem so far-fetched and magical for the average, non-gym-goer. Well Susan does happen to be somewhat right. Exercise is good for you. It has been said that if all the benefits of exercise could be put into a pill of some kind, then it would be the most profitable medicine ever. There are so many benefits to exercise, but here are just a few big ones;

1. Physical health – any form of exercise has benefits for your body; including your heart health, your bones, your immune system… you see where i’m going with this? – benefits galore!
2. Mental health – an up and coming topic in recent times, so there isn’t a huge amount of unbiased research on the true benefits. There are studies that suggest it is just a spike on endorphins, and others say it is much more complex than that. All I can say (from my personal experience) is that exercise gave me an escape where I could spend time on me. It gave me a sense of self worth and showed me that I am so much stronger (physically and mentally!) than I could have imagined. 

So now onto why. Why exercise? It is a great question and one that most people will ask at some stage of their life. The answer for many people is “to lose weight”. Lose weight after the Christmas period, or after having a baby, or ready for summer. The thing is… If you are only exercising to change your body – you are missing the point. Exercise is so much more than just changing the way you look. It is about enjoyment, and fun. If you have never enjoyed exercise before, then you haven’t yet found the right kind of exercise for you. That’s right. Everyone doesn’t have to be a runner. If you hate running – YOU DON’T HAVE TO RUN. (Controversial coming from a personal trainer – I know?!) If you love Zumba – DANCE LIKE NO ONE IS WATCHING! And if you are a competitive type? – TAKE UP A NEW SPORT. Throw it back to when you were child and you used to run through the park and never get tired. Remember that? It was so much fun! And why? Because you were running from the monsters or running to tag your friends. It was all for your enjoyment.

Somewhere along the line, we all lose the absolute joy that is just moving your body. It may take some trial and error but find something that makes you feel amazing. It doesn’t matter if it is belly dancing, weight lifting, yoga or nordic walking. Give everything a go until you find what you love. I promise you that once you find it, you will wonder how you ever lived without it and you will feel brand new. 

Top tip – when you try something new, bring a friend! Twice the fun. 

Love Becky x