The dreaded ‘E’ word
& why it’s vital to the best life you can live!
The dreaded ‘E’ word. No, it’s not Esther, it’s Exercise! How many of you just gasped & went to close the browser window right now? Exercise, even the thought of it, is a source of dread for many people. Even fitness trainers have days where they truly just don’t want to work out.
The thought of losing weight through exercise is so awful that millions of women starve themselves, take vinegar pills, inject HCG, eat only protein…do anything else to lose weight and lose it quickly. The truth is, the only way to permanently lose weight, is to combine exercise with a nutritious diet. Not something I wanted to hear either but a few years ago it hit me that I could lose weight, easy. I could lose a quick 5, 10, even 20lbs but it always came back. Lifelong exercise & tracking my nutrients and calories was/is the solution.
Let’s just say for a moment that you don’t want or need to lose weight, let’s just say you already are a perfect “10”. There are so many reasons everyone should make exercise a part of their daily life beyond weight. Let’s just take weight out of the equation completely and look at the benefits of exercise for your body, mind, and mood.
1- Wards Off Disease: Regular physical activity can prevent Osteoporosis, Type 2 Diabetes, certain types of Cancer, bolsters the immune system, and can prevent or manage High Blood Pressure. Regular activity strengthens our Heart, a vital muscle indeed. Blood gets returned to our heart from the extremities via muscular contractions caused by physical activity.
2- Manages Weight: Ok… ok… so I said we wouldn’t talk about losing weight but this is an obvious benefit of exercise. Excess weight puts stress on our joints, veins, heart, pushes our organs out of place, can affect breathing, and is often the cause diseases like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. The fact that regular activity naturally reduces weight is a plus for the body.
3- Lessens Depression: Excess weight often makes us feel bad about the way we look. When we feel bad food is often a comfort. Excess food causes more weight gain. We feel worse the more weight we gain. This is a vicious cycle. Now many people are suffering from depression while at a healthy weight but exercise still works at easing depression through the chemicals, endorphins, released in the brain during physical activity. These endorphins, boost mood, ease stress, relieve pain, and create a feeling of happiness and well-being.
4- Promotes Better Sleep: Regular activity seems to promote sounder sleep for many people. This can be attributed to many factors including better over-all health, less aches & pains, healthier heart rate, & your improved mood. Warning: exercising too close to bedtime can have quite the opposite effect.
5- Boosts Energy Levels: Physical activity benefits your entire cardiovascular system, and delivers oxygen & nutrients to your tissues. When your heart and lungs work more efficiently you naturally have more energy to do the things you need to do each day.
6- Puts the Spark back in you Sex Life: Feeling good about yourself can definitely benefit you in the bedroom. How many women are so worried about the way they look they don’t even enjoy sex? It’s a LOT! Regular physical activity can lead to enhanced arousal for women and reduces the chance of a man having erectile dysfunction.
7- It is FUN: Find the right program, the right routine for you, and exercise can actually be an enjoyable thing. Do you like good music & an intense workout? Look at a kickboxing program. Do you like to challenge yourself & lift weights? Look towards an intense body changing program. Do you enjoy a nice, long walk? Strap on those shoes & head outside! Don’t worry about what you are doing just make it fun for you. If you get bored with your current routine, change it up a little. If you are moving it counts as physical activity.
As you can see there are so many reasons to Exercise. In my opinion, it is vital to having the best life you can live! Without it, your chances of preventable disease, depression, insomnia, low energy, and even a lagging sex life are great. With it, the world is your oyster. As always do what you can but know your limits. If something hurts, stop. Don’t push yourself until you throw up, pass out, or get injured. Always consult a physician before beginning a new exercise program and with any concerns. As Tony Horton says, “Do your best and forget the rest!”
Esther St.James 
