Your Body Will Thank You!

But seriously, you reap the quantifiable benefits of exercise through both your mind and your body! Here are some of the many good things that come from exercise in any capacity:

1. Energy! The act of exercising allows oxygen and nutrients to be delivered more readily to your tissues. Also, the long-term cardiovascular improvements that come from consistent exercise mean that your heart and lungs will work more efficiently, giving you more energy.
2. Weight Control! This is an obvious one for most, but it is unequivocally necessary for function of all body systems, and it boosts self-esteem! Win-win.
3. A Better Mood! That’s right – if you’re feeling down, working out might be the last thing you want to do. But, it has been proven to be a natural mood enhancer. Exercise releases a variety of happy brain chemicals, like endorphins. The act of exercising may even just make you feel better about yourself, which is a great way to improve your mood.
4. Libido! Exercise can enhance your libido in more ways than one. Mainly, exercise releases testosterone which increases “the urge” in both males and females!
5. Prevents disease! Likelihood of conditions like heart disease, stroke, arthritis, diabetes (type II), and many more, is dramatically decreased if you are at a healthy weight and exercise consistently. Physical activity makes our bodies produce HDL, the “good” cholesterol which battles unhealthy triglycerides.

References:

1. The benefits of physical activity. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/everyone/health/index.html. Accessed July 2, 2013.
2. Exercise: 7 benefits of regular physical activity. Mayo Clinic.
   http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/fitness/in-depth/exercise/art-20048389. Accessed July 28, 2014.
3. Hamilton LD, et al. The roles of testosterone and alpha-amylase in exercise-induced sexual arousal in women. Journal of Sexual Medicine. 2008;5:845.