Exercise is a huge topic when it comes to our health and wellness.
There are so many different types and forms of exercise. We could talk about the specific benefits of yoga, HIIT training (high intensity interval training), cycling, pilates, etc., until we are blue in the face.
Each type of exercise is important and can benefit us in different ways. We will explore the benefits that different types of exercise offer us throughout this membership. But for right now, as we are at the beginning of our health journey, let’s start with the basics; exercising regularly.
It can be really difficult to start incorporating different types of exercise into our lives, especially if exercise hasn’t been a priority for us thus far. The perfect starting point is to incorporate regular exercise into your life and make it a priority. It is really difficult to make something a priority when you don’t really understand why you are doing it or don’t quite feel the benefits of it just yet. That is why I am going to educate you on why you should be exercising regularly, and support you while you begin this practice.
Benefits of regular exercise
The benefits of exercise are going to blow you away. Before you move onto all of these benefits, I am going to ask you to do something. Take your time reading this next section, maybe read it twice, or read it aloud. Allow this information to soak in so that when you are struggling to find the motivation you need to get moving, you can draw from this information and use it to get you moving.
It improves our weight management.
- We increase our calorie output (calories burned), therefore using up the excess energy that is stored in our fat cells.
Improves cardiovascular health.
- Exercise increases HDL (good cholesterol) and reduces blood cholesterol levels. This reduces risk of stroke, hypertension and cardiovascular disease.
Improves our body's ability to handle stress.
- Exercise is a temporary stressor to our body, but afterwards, it will actually decrease the stress hormones in our body, such as cortisol and epinephrine (adrenaline). This means that exercise actually decreases our stress levels. It also increases norepinephrine levels in the brain, which increases your body's ability to handle stress. There are so many other amazing ways that exercise helps our stress levels. We will discuss this further during Stress Month (September 2021).
Exercise increases toxin removal.
- Exercise decreases the toxic load on your body systems, and improving overall health. As the function of all body systems is impaired with high levels of toxicity, therefore affecting your overall health and wellness.
Improve strength and endurance.
- Regular exercise can make your everyday tasks feel less tiresome, and easier.
Improve physical longevity.
- Falls become increasingly common as we age, and are often the reason seniors are moved into retirement residences or care homes. This is because our strength and coordination decrease. Regular exercise can maintain our strength and coordination, allowing us to take advantage of our years of retirement and continue to do what we love.
Improves your sleep.
- Exercise can improve sleep due to the chemical response in your brain, along with the positive effects it has on sleep quality and mood (making you happier, and reducing anxiety and worry).
Improves your body’s metabolism and blood sugar stabilization.
- Exercise can decrease blood sugar levels in your blood and increase sensitivity to insulin. Decreasing risk of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes.
Improves mood.
- Exercise increases levels of serotonin in your brain which helps combat depression, improves mood and sleep.
Can make you smarter.
- Exercise actually increases our neurotrophic factor, which allows new neurons to grow in our brain. This can help to rewire the brain and form new connections. This can also help with keeping the brain young and delay the onset of dementia.
The list can go on and on, but I think you get the point. Exercise plays a critical role in your health and well-being.
Where Do You Start?
By now, I am sure you are super motivated to make exercise part of your routine, maybe you are struggling to finish this article because you just need to start right now. That can be the difficult part though, where do you start?
Beginners
If regular exercise is new to you, maybe you have been active around the house and in the garden, but you don’t actually “workout”, then here are some tips;
1. Experiment with different exercises. There are so many different forms of exercise out there. Don’t be afraid to experiment.
2. Don’t give up on an exercise after the first try. Try different exercises a minimum of three times each before judging. For instance, if you tried a yoga video and you didn’t like it, find a different video and try it again, and again. Maybe you went on a walk by yourself and you didn’t like it, go on two more walks by yourself.
It takes time to get used to something, and just because you have one bad experience doesn’t mean you should discount it. Trying something new is uncomfortable. So it is normal for you to feel awkward, scared or hesitant. But that feeling is how you know you are growing as a person, and for that you should be proud of yourself.
3. Use the chat page and our zoom hangout to ask other members what they do. Each and every one of us are working on our exercise routine, so post a question on the chat page, or in our zoom hangout this month so we can all share our practices and support one another.
4. Start small. Change is good, exercise is great, but let’s remember to be realistic. Start with something easy or at the beginner level and progress from here. The worst thing you can do is to jump into the deep end before you've learned how to swim. Maybe you hurt yourself and end up being out of commission for weeks, you may make yourself sick or so sore that you now have a negative association with exercise. You can always try a harder workout next time if you need to.
Intermediate
1. Remember to experiment. Sometimes we get really comfortable with the workouts that we are doing and forget to try something new. We need to remember that our body adjusts and gets used to exercises if we do them alot, to the point where we aren’t benefiting from them the same way we used to.
2. Push yourself. This links with the previous point. When we get into a routine we don’t want to break it. Maybe an exercise class that used to make you sweat doesn’t anymore, that is a sign it is time to push yourself to the next level. So change up your exercise, increase your weights, increase your sets, or maybe your time. We can very easily plateau if we aren't changing things up enough.
3. Try making yourself a workout routine so that you can ensure you aren’t missing any important muscle group, and that you are fitting in cardio, weights, stretching, etc.
Advanced
1. Keep up the amazing work.
2. Follow the tips under intermediate for little reminders.
For everyone
1. Set goals for yourself. Write down what your workout is currently, and then think about how you would like to progress and by when. Setting goals is a great way to ensure you are always moving forward and to ensure you are taking the time to celebrate your accomplishments.
2. Make sure you are nourishing yourself well. With increased exercise we need to make sure we are consuming enough protein to build our muscles, and enough healthy carbohydrates beforehand to give us the energy we need for our exercise.
3. Drink water. Your 7 cups of water a day will not be sufficient if your exercise is making you sweat. Remember to add an extra cup or two of water into your day.
4. Remember to stretch. We build muscle by working muscles, they tear a bit, and protein rebuilds them bigger. When this happens our muscles get tight. So the more we exercise the more we need to remember to stretch. Stretching is just as important for your joints, muscles and flexibility as the exercise itself.
5. Workout with a friend. Working out can be more fun with a friend. Try not to rely on your friend too much though. Ensure you are able to exercise alone too, and that they help to push you, instead of slowing you down.
If you have any questions or concerns about the content, you will have an opportunity to ask questions this month during one of the two video chats. Otherwise, please feel free to comment on the chat board, the coinciding Instagram post or contact me directly via email or Instagram.
Sources:
Servick, Kelly, "How does Exercise Keep Your Brain Young." Science Mag, Sept. 2018, https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/09/how-does-exercise-keep-your-brain-young