Have one of those love/hate relationships with working out? Love what it does for you, but it’s the first thing to go when the schedule gets crazy? Maybe you kinda hate that you’re not doing it, because there’s this nagging sense that you should be. Or maybe you just don’t like to get sweaty, or you feel anxious when your heart rate gets up there. Love the results. Hate the extra laundry and smelly gym bag. Love the swagger. Hate the extra shower (time) it requires. Love. Hate. Yep – we get it.
Here’s 3 pretty compelling reasons to end your love/hate relationship with working out, commit to staying in the game, and then putting in place the structure to make it happen:
1. Your brain really loves it. One word: endorphins. These wonderful little neurotransmitters act in the brain to reduce feelings of pain, modulate your appetite, enhance your immune system, and improve our response to stress. And, recent research from UCLA suggests that exercise increases growth factors in the brain. Funny what an increase in blood flow and oxygen can do for you! (Stop losing your keys and forgetting names!)
2. Your body really loves it. Yes, it really does. In fact, it loves it way more than it loves sitting. It may be one of those “love (kinda) hurts” relationships, but that’s just your body rebuilding itself to come back stronger next time. And by the way, your body doesn’t adapt just for the sake of the next workout. It’s making itself stronger for everything you do; all day, every day. Feeling strong feels so good.
3. Because working out has this amazing ripple effect. When you’re working out, you’ve (hopefully) surrounded yourself with people who like to do healthy stuff, like move more, eat healthier, think more positively. And when that happens….you tend to do more of that stuff yourself. The pack keeps you engaged with your health. So a couple of workouts a week can have a pretty big impact on the other parts of your busy day.
It’s time. You don’t have to decide right now whether you love it or hate it, just find a pack of like-mindeds to sweat with and get it done. While you’re at it, get off the “all or nothing” crazy train. A couple of workouts a week is a great start. One less hour or two of TV or facebook. Yes, you can. And yes, you’ll be glad you did.