Improve Your Wellbeing

  Feel better about yourself with fitness

If exercising to improve your health doesn’t appeal to you, maybe the fact that it can also do great things for your home and work life will.

After experiencing the following list of fitness’ feel-good benefits you might be wondering why nobody told you about exercise sooner. But you’ve got to see it to believe it, so start making changes (like walking instead of driving while doing errands) and before long you’ll be sold on the best aspects of being active.

Ways fitness can make you feel great

• Better mood - Physical activity can reduce stress and anxiety. It’s also a good way to combat depression, and not just because you’ll be looking better. Working out actually stimulates the release of feel-good brain chemicals. You don’t even have to push yourself to go to the gym or do calisthenics like crazy to get the mood-enhancing boost exercise offers. Just put on a pair of comfy walking shoes and head outside. A brisk half hour walk will do. If you’re so down in the dumps you can’t even psyche yourself up for 30 minutes, just plan on walking around the block. Once you get going you’ll likely find that you’d rather keep moving than veg out on the couch.
• Better sleep - Upping your energy output during the day can help you fall asleep faster at night and have a more restful slumber. Experts aren’t all in agreement about when the best fitness time is, some say late afternoon and others say morning, but the point remains that exercise during the day means a better sleep at night.
• Better sex - We avoid being intimate for a number of reasons. It could be we are too tired, we aren’t comfortable with our bodies or we just feel too stressed out. Regular exercise means more energy, a more toned body and feeling better in general. If that doesn’t get your fire started you’ll also benefit from improved circulation which can lead to increased sexual satisfaction.
• Better work - Workplace fitness programs have been shown to boost morale and productivity. It has also been shown that active individuals report higher job satisfaction. If your workplace doesn’t offer fitness, take it upon yourself to become more active. Showing your boss how the company can benefit might encourage him/her to reconsider an employee exercise program.

With so many feel good reasons to get fit you might be thinking about a gym membership or aerobics classes. Don’t forget that exercise isn’t always structured. You can have fun with it too. Play with your kids at the park, sign up for dance classes, take a scenic hike or get involved in recreational sports. If you enjoy what you’re doing the well being benefits will start working their magic even faster.