Exercise. We have all heard about it. We know it’s important. We know we should do it. But we aren’t consistent, or we aren’t doing it at all! What’s going on?
Knowing how exercise helps you can be helpful to get you started and keep you showing up.
There are nearly unlimited benefits of exercise. Here are some of the more obvious ones:
Your mood is better.
You feel happier.
You have more energy.
You think clearer.
You make better, healthier decisions.
Your memory improves.
You grow and keep muscle.
Your heart works more efficiently.
Your skin becomes more radiant.
Your bowels move smoother.
Your joints ache less and feel less stiff.
Your sleep quality improves.
Your breathing gets easier.
Your blood flow improves.
Your risk of chronic disease and life-threatening conditions drops:
MORE EXERCISE = LESS RISK…
…of heart attack, stroke, cancer,
diabetes, blood pressure, high cholesterol,
dementia, depression, anxiety,
liver disease, obesity, and so much more!
And I get it, life gets busy. There is lots going on. It always feels like there is an excuse at the ready. But exercise is something we get to make time for.
So how can we start exercising or getting more of it?
Instead of trying to create 30 minutes for exercise out of nowhere, start with 2 minutes. Focus on showing up. Over time you can increase the duration, frequency, and intensity of your exercise. And with enough consistency and dedication, you will be exceeding the guidelines before you know it.
What are your eventual targets to work up to? Here’s a reminder of the Canadian Exercise Guidelines:
At least 150 minutes / week of moderate intensity aerobic activity
AND
At least 135 minutes / week of strength and resistance training
Again, it’s not 0 to 100. It is about starting, building momentum, and not quitting, no matter how much we get knocked down, life seems to get in the way, or how strong the excuses feel. Chase progress, not perfection.
You deserve to exercise. You got this.