It's Friday the 13th and today is a beautiful day in Chicago to get out there and exercise! Here are 13 reasons to go out and make it a great day!
1. Better flexibility. It's the old "use it or lose it" concept. If your muscles are strong and balanced you will have better flexibility and better control of movements.
2.Better Balance. Constantly moving sharpens our inner ear balance centers and keeps muscles stronger, keeping you more steady on your feet.
3. Better sleep. Lack of sleep is now linked to weight gain; exercise helps promote better rest and burning of calories.
4. Stronger Bones. Weight-bearing exercise helps stimulate muscles, which pull on the bones to make them more dense. These exercises, coupled with a diet rich in calcium and magnesium, will build stronger bones as you age.
5.Better Immune System. People who are physically active are less likely to catch colds, and a little bit of exercise may actually speed up your recovery. If you are running a temperature, rest is your best bet. Otherwise, get moving and walk. Deep breathing may boost your immune response and get you feeling better faster.
6. Better Response to Stress. Exercise raises endorphin levels and lowers the stress hormone cortisol. The release of these exercise-induced hormones not only make you feel happy but they stay elevated even after you are done with your workout.
7. Better Brain function. Exercise is proven to make you smarter! Those students who ate breakfast and worked out at least 30 minutes in the morning before taking tests fared better than those who didn't. I know I am more on my game after a brisk walk then after sitting on a plane for a few hours
8. Better, Longer Life. We now know that people who exercise regularly live longer, more quality lives. According to REAL AGE, people who follow a regular exercise program live up to five years longer than those who chose not to exercise.8
9. Better Sex. Higher levels of physical activity have been linked to better sex. The more circulation you receive, the more sensitive you are to pleasure.
10. Better Energy. Believe it or not, after most exercise sessions the increase in blood flow makes you feel more, and the ability for the body to utilize oxygen makes you less fatigued.
11. Better Heart Function. The more you exercise any muscle including the heart, the better it functions efficiently.
12. Better Breathing. The more you utilize the lungs for air exchange the stronger the ability to utilize oxygen.
13. Better happiness. Fit people get more endorphins than sedentary people and thereby may be happier.
Is there any circumstance under which exercise can be dangerous to your health? I have never heard anyone speak of this yet we do hear of athletes and the like who collapse and die due to overly rigorous activity.