Do you ever find yourself making all kinds of excuses to skip your workouts? Simple excuses like, going to HH, shopping, catching up with an old friend, OR it’s that time of the month and you’ve got some bad cramps. . .even better, you have two herniated discs on your lower back and exercising is just not going to cut it? I’ve heard all of them. Not from others, but MYSELF. I used to make all kinds of excuses as to why I couldn’t get to workout and days/weeks would go by without exercise. It wasn’t until I changed my mindset about exercise and pushed myself to workout, whether it be taking classes, running, or simply going to my apartment gym to get a quick workout in.
I slowly started to fall in love with it and realizing the benefits of exercise each time I would make time for it. Little by little it became part of my lifestyle and nothing ever gets in between (literally! My friends think I’m crazy). I now view it as my therapy, the only time I’ve got to truly focus on one thing per day and that thing being ME! I’ve grown up with two herniated discs in my lower back and doctors would always say that exercise was only going to make it worse. They were wrong. I’ve always been told to stay put when I’m on my period. They wrong. I’ve always thought social activities were always a priority. I was wrong. Exercise has helped me strengthen my lower back in ways I never imaged. It is my life saver during that time of the month. Social time hasn’t stopped as I simply just prioritize my days to ensure I workout during days I have things going on at night (HH, work event, networking, etc.) If you are in the beginning stages of getting your mind right, convincing yourself that it will be OKAY and it will be WORTH it, here are my top 5 reasons why you should consider making a lifestyle change and adding exercise to your daily routines.
- Exercise helps with anxiety and depression this couldn’t be more accurate. I view excise as my therapy. If I’m upset, anxious, stressed, or anything in between I go straight to the gym and feel 100x better after. It helps boost your mood overall.
- Exercise helps fight diseases like blood pressure, diabetes, etc. if you suffer from blood pressure, it’s most likely from eating a high fat diet and not doing anything about it. Type 2 diabetes is becoming a crisis in the United States and you can lower your risk of getting type 2 diabetes by incorporating exercise into your daily routine, therefore improving your body’s ability to metabolize glucose. In general, you will be healthier and you will reduce your risks of diseases.
- Exercise helps reduce body fat if you’ve never measured your BMI (body mass index), I’d suggest you do so, so you get a sense of where you are in terms of your overall metabolic status. Knowing where you stand will help you prioritize the types of exercises you should be including in your daily routines to bring down your BMI to normal levels. You can calculate your BMI by going to the Centers for Disease Control
- Exercise helps boosts your energy levels since you have more oxygen to fuel your body’s cells from working out. After the first few weeks of incorporating exercise into your daily routines, you’ll have more energy, lower number of aches and pains and more strength. You will also feel more capable of taking on strength building exercising, running longer, etc. as the time goes on.
- Exercise helps you be more confident as you will build muscle, have less fat, and be in a better mindset. You will be able to wear clothes you weren’t able to fit into before. You will look better in different types of clothes. You will be SEXIER and confident in your own body.
Remember, your body can stand ALMOST ANYTHING. It’s your mind that you must convince. I hope that this has helped, even if it’s just a little tiny bit, get you excited about incorporating this life-changing routine into your lifestyle. Maybe you are already putting on your sneakers and walking out of your house to simply go for a walk (HOPEFULLY I can be that convincing! 😊) or maybe you need more motivation (AND that’s okay too!) so go follow me on Instagram for daily motivation (workouts, healthy food recipes, overall motivation to be better, do better) to not just get your fit, but to help you reach your PRIME! (@fit2prime_)