Physical training offers benefits in all parts of your life

Whether you call it exercising or just getting active, physical activity has many tangible and intangible benefits for all of us.

Staying fit, mobile, and healthy takes effort, but you’ll be surprised to find that fitness doesn’t have to include strenuous workout routines. In fact, too many hard training programs without easier recovery days can create worse results than those experienced by those who don’t exercise at all.

My personal journey to fitness began for a variety of basic and simple reasons. From weight loss to weight gain; get bigger, stronger or faster; playing sports or for health reasons, we all have a reason why we start to move.

You will also need a reason to continue. Falling off the practice wagon happens all the time, mainly because the reasons we started haven’t changed over time and with situations as we get older.

One thing you need to understand and remember is, “Fitness is a journey, not a destination”.

Fitness can be a simple 30-minute walk each day, or you can prepare for more ambitious fitness goals. It does not matter. The intangible benefits are always there for all levels of physical ability.

Here is a list of many benefits that go beyond your health and well-being:

A disciplined life. When you start making the time to exercise, you’ll find that on the days when you’re not 100% motivated to move, the discipline you’ve created by creating daily habits will keep you going. Discipline created on the physical side of your life makes it easier to build discipline into other areas of your life, including work, school, and even family life.

Work ethic. As you increase your physical abilities, your abilities in other areas will also increase. Taking care of your health not only increases your body’s ability to move for longer, but also improves your energy levels in other areas of your life. You will notice increased work capacity as a benefit to your fitness relatively quickly as you progress.

Strong minded. When you stick to a plan even when you don’t feel like it, you can use your initial motivation to build habits, be more consistent, and become more disciplined. As your motivation evolves into discipline, you will find that, day in and day out, you are starting the building blocks of a more resilient mind and body – aka “mental toughness” or “grain.”

The ability to challenge yourself to be more comfortable doing uncomfortable things can also apply to long days at work and studying harder for exams. This is where the mind and body connect.

General confidence, mood and attitude. Fitness can help you fight a lack of self-confidence and a general negative mood and attitude that can develop when working with others or trying new and stimulating things. Fitness is growth, not only in stronger muscles and bones, but also personally and professionally.

As you increase your ability to run, lift, do Swedish gymnastics, be more flexible, and generally do things that others cannot, you will become an example to people. It is meaningful and stimulating.

Immune system. Now, more than ever, you need to find a balance of physical activity to help improve your immune system. You need a combination of exercise (but not too much), healthy eating, and rest.

Working too hard can increase the stress response and worsen your immune system. Not exercising can also have negative effects on your immune system. To maintain good health, it is essential to find a good balance with physical form. Fitness Ideas For Beginners Avoid overtraining / More recovery

Better physical and sleep performance. Sleep is essential to your long-term survival in the face of daily stress. Due to increased activity and the ability to sleep better at night, the stress-relieving benefits of exercise are doubled by this delicate balance between activity and rest. Fitness allows you to fall asleep faster and deeper. However, too much activity can lead to insomnia.

Starting a fitness program prompts you to start taking care of yourself. You may find that you are drinking more water than before, eating better than before, and most importantly, giving up bad habits. As you make fitness a habit, you will find that more good habits follow and the desire to let go of the bad ones begins to manifest.

Stew Smith is a former Navy SEAL and Fitness Author Certified as a Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) with the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Visit his Fitness e-book store if you are looking to start a workout program to create a healthy lifestyle. Send your fitness questions to [email protected]

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