February is the month of love: a time to share love and devotion with the people who matter most in our lives. Although Valentine’s Day is traditionally a celebration for lovers, it is also a great opportunity to share your love with family members, friends and yourself!
How are you showing a little self-care this month? While you enjoy flowers and chocolates, also think about the habits you can implement that will make you feel good now and in the future.
A consistent exercise routine is one of the best things you can do to protect your health, stay lean, and feel confident in your body. Exercising regularly promotes good health – both physical and mental.
But it can be challenging to fit exercise into your busy schedule. If you’re having a hard time staying consistent, look to friends and trainers to help you find the reasons to keep going. Hearing other people’s opinions and motivations can help you find the motivation you need to stay consistent with your own goals.
Fitness: Focus on what you gain, not what you lose
One way you can change your perspective is to focus on what you will gain from a consistent exercise routine. People often talk about their desire to lose weight. While fat loss is one benefit, it is only a small part of the benefits it provides.
The truth is that just being motivated by your physical appearance can make it difficult to follow through on your goals. If all you’re thinking about is getting the perfect beach body or losing that baby weight, it can sometimes be hard to stay motivated when you don’t feel like going to the gym.
Instead of focusing on the scale, shift your focus to how you feel. This change shifts your motivation from pleasing other people because of the way you look to taking care of yourself because of the way you feel.
Here are some other things to consider that can help boost your fitness motivation and keep you focused on the things that matter most:
Disease prevention
The data doesn’t lie: maintaining a regular fitness routine is an excellent way to do that reduce the risk of common health diseases. Maintaining a healthy body weight and exercising regularly reduces the risk of:
- Heart disease
- Type 2 diabetes
- Many types of cancer
- Dementia
- Depression
- Tension
- And more
You want to live a long and healthy life. That is why it is important to prevent chronic diseases. Make sure exercise is on your priority list, as well as a healthy diet, stress management, and other factors that can influence your risk of chronic disease.
Increase energy levels
Do you find it difficult to get through the day because you don’t have enough energy? Although the initial desire may be to take a nap, the truth is that you may need more physical activity to meet the necessary energy levels.
Getting up in the morning and starting the day with exercise is an excellent solution to get your blood pumping. In addition, exercise generates happy endorphins that make you feel good, which can bring a sense of energy and vitality to your activities throughout the day.
Reduce stress levels
Stress is unavoidable in our modern world and therefore it is necessary for everyone to take a proactive approach to reduce stress as much as possible. When stress levels rise, hormonal changes occur in the body. For example, stress can increase cortisol levels, which can alter the body’s metabolism and increase fat retention.
Exercise is a proven method for stress reduction. When you exercise, it promotes healthy hormone balance and gives you an “outlet” for the stress you are feeling. Instead of holding the stress and emotions inside, move your body and release the tension and worries through physical activity.
Improve functional movement
Whether you want the strength and flexibility to play sports with your kids or be able to complete DIY projects around the house, it’s important that you have a strong and functional body. Regular exercise helps improve your ability to function in many different situations. This functional strength is essential at home, at work, and at your favorite extracurricular activities.
Incorporate strength training and cardio into your workout routines. These things will help you strengthen both muscles and bones, while keeping your joints moving. These exercises are important for people of all ages, but especially for older adults, because the risk of muscle mass loss becomes more common with age.
Reduce the risk of injury and falls
As a person ages, there is an increasing risk that a daily activity can cause injury. Something as simple as climbing stairs or playing with grandchildren can potentially cause a broken bone or hip injury if the person lacks functional strength and falls during the activity.
On the other hand, regular exercise is useful for improving balance and strength. When these physical activities occur regularly, the person can maintain the physical function necessary to prevent these injuries.
Weight management
It goes without saying that exercise is often a necessary tool when someone is trying to lose weight. When you exercise, you burn more calories, build muscle and contribute to many of the functions in the body that control weight gain or weight loss.
Not only is exercise an essential part of a weight loss routine, but regular exercise is also important for weight maintenance in the future. Once you lose the extra pounds, you can continue with an exercise routine to maintain the results achieved.
For best results, combine exercise with a healthy diet. When you control your eating and exercise your body, it naturally creates the conditions you need to maintain your ideal weight.
Exercise: feel better now and in the future
Are you already following a consistent exercise routine? If not, it’s time to show some self-love through exercise. If you need help on your fitness journey, join Fitness Nation today. We have a strong community and excellent facilities to support your health goals.