It's no secret that exercise is one of the most important factors for staying healthy, but moving your body daily is more powerful than you might think. Not only has it been established as an unwavering pillar for a healthy lifestyle, but research is finding more benefits of movement every year. Weight loss is one of the main reasons people exercise, but lowering the number on the scale is only one out of the huge host of benefits you can get from moving your body every day.
So let’s get to it…
What are 4 of the top unexpected benefits from moving your body everyday?
- Improve Your Brain Function & Memory - One of the biggest concerns with aging is the decline in brain function and memory. This is punctuated by the fact that over 6 million + American’s have Alzheimer's dementia. Additionally, the hunt for tricks and hacks to improve brain function for work and performance is becoming increasingly popular. Regular exercise has been shown to increase memory and brain function in many ways, including increasing the expression of BDNF. BDNF is a protein that plays a critical role in the survival and growth of neurons, serves as a neurotransmitter modulator, and participates in neuronal plasticity, which is all essential for learning and memory.
- Manage Your Emotional Health, Anxiety & Stress - Stress and anxiety are common challenges in modern life. In 2019, 7 out of 10 Americans reported feeling stress or anxiety on a daily basis. When it comes to emotional health and stress management, research shows that many solutions put an emphasis on the body. Regular movement has been shown to improve reported emotional health, mood, perception of pain, optimize the health of the nervous system, physical tension and sleep.
- Optimize Your Hormones & Sex Life - Testosterone and other sex hormones are some of the most important compounds made by our body. They help us grow, repair, reproduce, feel good about ourselves and generally keep our bodies vital. Over the last few decades, these hormones have declined dramatically in the average person, contributing to an array of concerns including disease, depression, low confidence, sexual dysfunction and infertility. Exercise has been shown across the board to boost and balance our hormones, improve self esteem, increase libido, and bolster sexual function. Strength training and high intensity training in particular have proven to be most effective as it improves testosterone levels while also improving one's sense of confidence.
- Raise Your Confidence & Self-Esteem - We already touched on how changes in brain chemistry from exercise can improve the way you feel. What's even more promising is that achieving fitness goals through exercise can help individuals feel empowered, reinforcing their belief in their ability to overcome challenges and do hard things. More importantly, as you improve your fitness and health, you have the opportunity to appreciate and connect with your body more, leading to improved confidence, self-esteem and over all sense of self. Improved posture, physique and presence acquired through exercise can also positively influence the way you carry yourself, exude self-assuredness and how are perceived by others.
Pro Tips:
- "That you move is more important than how you move"
- Walking is the lowest hanging fruit when it comes to daily movement. It’s practiced and proven! I prefer first thing in the morning and after dinner walks.
- You don’t need a full workout routine to get the benefits of exercise. Some days I just drop down and do a set or two of push ups throughout the day and that is a legit win.
- When unmotivated or in doubt, just "warm up". Even the best of us struggle with feeling low energy, unmotivated, or unsure what to do for exercise. I found that if I just commit to a 5 minute “warmup” and then see how I feel. I almost almost always feel more clarity, allowing me to seamlessly transition into more exercise with ease. I really love having a light Move Band around for this.
You have the choice to start today! Just take that first step and see what happens. Committing to daily movement is a great way to build healthy habits. The beautiful thing is that movement can include any activity in which the body is in motion, not just your exercise routine! Housework, a morning walk, dancing, hobbies, taking the stairs, gardening, or a physical job all count. Commitment to movement is the most important aspect of obtaining the many short and long term benefits of moving your body every day! You don't need to join a gym to win.
At COMMITTED HP, we offer you a variety of fitness products that make exercise fun and easy to do from the comfort of your own home or on the go. Our goal is to help you to take a step forward towards thriving. So start now, start moving, take a step, grab a friend and go!
