25 Ways Exercise Can Change Your Life !
If you are only exercising to lose weight , you may find it hard to stick to your goal . It can take a few weeks or months to see changes in your outward appearance ; thankfully , there are numerous ways exercise improves your health from the inside out . Some exercise benefits are immediate , which can give you that extra push when you want to quit . “ It can be difficult to stick with your resolution if you ’ re only looking for results in the mirror ,” says Sharrell Porter , M . S . ACSM EP-C , an exercise physiologist at Piedmont Atlanta Fitness Center . She recommends focusing on a health-related goal , like lowering blood pressure , reducing stress or sleeping better . “ I have people come in for a training session and they don ’ t want to exercise ,” says Porter . “ However , by the end of their session , they feel better and are ready to tackle more in their day . I also get texts from clients who say exercise helped them sleep better that night , even if they normally struggle with insomnia or other sleep issues .” Besides weight loss , exercise can change your life in numerous positive ways . Remember this list next time you are discouraged . Research shows regular workouts can : 1 . Lengthen your life 2 . Slow cognitive decline 3 . Boost your mood 4 . Make your DNA younger 5 . Give you more confidence 6 . Improve creativity 7 . Reduce stress 8 . Increase your energy 9 . Help you sleep better 10 . Strengthen your bones 11 . Protect your heart
12 . Improve eye health 13 . Reduce chronic pain 14 . Improve fertility 15 . Decrease your risk of metabolic syndrome ( high triglycerides , large waistline , low HDL [“ good ”] cholesterol , high blood pressure , high fasting blood sugar ) 16 . Decrease your future healthcare costs 17 . Improve your posture 18 . Relieve PMS symptoms 19 . Improve your skin 20 . Build agility 21 . Increase your flexibility and range of motion 22 . Strengthen your joints 23 . Decrease your risk of injury 24 . Delay onset of dementia 25 . Reduce back pain Celebrate exercise results While outward physical changes may not be apparent right away , if you are exercising regularly , eating healthy foods and sticking with reasonable portions , you should notice a difference within a month or so . “ You might not see a change , but others will start noticing ,” she says . “ Just because you aren ’ t focusing on your appearance at first doesn ’ t mean your appearance won ’ t change .”
For more fitness tips visit : http :// www . piedmont . org / living-better / living-better-home ? category = wellness & subcategory = fitness This article is courtesy of Living Better Piedmont . For more information on Piedmont Newton Hospital , please visit piedmont . org .