7 Reasons to Lace Up Your Training Sneakers and Get Active

We as Americans simply aren’t as active as we should be in order to be living healthy lifestyles. Per the CDC’s baselines and statistics, 53.3% of adults meet the Physical Activity Guidelines for aerobic physical activity while only 23.2% of adults meet the requirements for both aerobic and muscle strengthening activity. In other words, roughly 3 out of every 4 of us have some work to do. The beautiful thing about exercise is that you can pick what you want to do, when, and how often to really personalize your fitness experience to successfully obtain and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Here are 7 reasons why you’ll be lacing up your training shoes by the end of this read.

1. Investing in Your Future Self

AHA Study

Investing doesn’t always have to mean taking paychecks and putting them in the latest new tech stocks. Instead, you can devote a portion of your day and dedicate it to getting active in order to invest in the well being of your future self. And it doesn’t take much time at all. A study done by the American Heart Association says that 150 minutes of moderately intense exercise per week can be enough to reduce risk of heart related diseases. Something as simple as getting out for a 25 minute walk each and every day can be enough to avoid miserable health complications down the road and in return, prolong your lifetime.

2. Improved Physical Health

CMAJ Study

In a sense, your body is like a coupon for seasonal fruits at your local grocery store; you either use it or lose it. Your body needs your help in order to remain functional. Research was done on the musculoskeletal fitness of the human body by a team from CMAJ and they found that consistent physical activity is an essential component to retaining functional independence. Without routine exercise, the human body is much more susceptible to being broken down and becoming more fragile, putting you at risk of injury or severe immobility. However, this can all be avoided by practicing health activity on a regular basis.

3. Improved Mental Health

Harvard Mental Health Study

A very overlooked component of fitness is the positive contribution to mental health it will have on you. Mental illnesses affect tens of millions of people in America and getting active has the potential to increase the satisfaction of life in a person. A study done by Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health concluded that daily aerobic activity, specifically running for 15 minutes or walking for 60 minutes, can reduce the possibility of extensive depression by 26%. This is due to the release of mood-boosting endorphins that are sure to leave you feeling good about yourself.

4. Getting Better Sleep at Night

NSF Sleep Study

While there isn’t definitive evidence that sleep and exercise have a direct correlation with each other, there have been studies that suggest so. In 2003, the National Sleep Foundation developed a poll for adults asking how often they exercised and how long they were sleeping on an average night. The results showed that individuals who were active at least 3 days a week were more likely to get not only more sleep, but better sleep compared to those who weren’t as active. A good night’s rest is bound to set one up for success, in all aspects of life.

5. Gaining Sense of Accomplishment

Getting in a good exercise session is one of the many ways you can improve your overall mood by having that feeling of accomplishment a good doing. I like to get my workouts in during the morning and I’ve found that by getting a sweat in early gives me something to be proud about in myself and gets me going on the right path to have a productive day. This also applies if you were to workout in the evening. My evening workouts have left me more relaxed and less anxious after a stressful day and really prep me well for a good night’s rest.

6. Improved Self Image

Wanting to look your best is the big motivator for wanting to get active in many individuals. While there are many more benefits than just achieving your ideal figure, doing so can lead to a more confident version of yourself. I personally want to feel comfortable when looking at myself in a mirror so I make sure to stay consistent with my training in order to insure a positive self image of myself. Even if I’m not satisfied with how I see myself, it feels good to know I’m making a valuable effort in aspiration of reaching my goals.

7. Gaining a Sense of Community

The most common place to exercise is in a gym, and no, a gym membership doesn’t come with the inflated ego of your typical gym bro. If your gym experience is anything like mine, you’ll find that people like to be surrounded by others with similar goals. This is an environment where a friendship is bound to blossom. Oftentimes, a simple question asking if someone is using certain equipment can be the perfect ice breaker and leave you with a new gym buddy for years to come. Everyone wants a gym buddy.

Conclusion

By this point, it should be common knowledge that engaging in regular exercise is a staple in having a healthy lifestyle. The key is to get started today. There’s so many added benefits associated with exercising that there is no reason to put it off any longer. It truly is all up to you. To finish things off, I’ll share with you with this quote from 7x Mr. Olympia winner, Arnold Schwarzenagger, that’s destined to leave you pumped up for your next workout.

“The mind is the limit. As long as the mind can envision the fact that you can do something, you can do it, as long as you really believe 100 percent.” -Arnold S.

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