Exercising not only keeps us looking and feeling our prime – it also drastically changes the quality of our life! In conjunction with a healthy diet, you can expect to become your best self along with daily physical activity. Here are five mind-blowing benefits of exercise that will unquestionably motivate you to get up and move.
- Lengthens your lifespan
The main culprits that significantly reduce our lifespan are stress and disease. However, exercise is able to combat and protect us against both these things. Physical activity increases the immune system’s production of white blood cells, reduces the body’s build-up of cortisol and adrenaline, and prevents us from developing obesity, high blood pressure, and heart disease. Not only can you look forward to adding an additional four years to your life, but your body also will never stop feeling healthy and strong.
- Helps overcome addiction
A recovering addict will significantly reduce their cravings or chances of relapse due to the production of endorphins and dopamine resulted from exercise. One can replace the high that was triggered by drugs with exercising as a healthy and safe alternative. While exercise should not be seen as the primary form of recovery treatment, it undoubtedly contributes to making the path to overcoming addiction and living a life of sobriety easier.
- Alleviates the symptoms of mental illness
Regardless if one has depression, anxiety, or even bipolar disorder – exercising alleviates the symptoms of mental conditions. Subsequently, the likelihood of suffering emotional outbursts, depressive episodes, and anxiety attacks diminish over time. Exercise encourages the production of the brain chemicals serotonin and dopamine, which are imperative and vital to improving the ability of a person to control their emotions and lift their mood.
- Speeds up the production of brain cells
Exercise triggers proteins in the brain that produce new brain cells. This neurogenesis is promising for sharpening memory, strengthening thinking skills, and even lowering the risk of developing Alzheimer’s Disease. While aging and growing old is inevitable, it doesn’t mean you have to endure the circumstances that may come with them.
- Changes perspective on yourself
Obviously, your confidence and self-esteem inflate thanks to the fact that you’re happy with what you see in the mirror; but it isn’t just that physical change that makes you change your perspective on yourself and how you tackle the world. Exercising translates into every area of your life. It takes serious self-respect, dedication, and effort to continue exercising to the best of one’s abilities – naturally, that attitude will manifest into every other action you take in achieving personal goals and excelling in the workplace.
About The Author: Trevor is a freelance writer and recovering addict & alcoholic who’s been clean and sober for over 5 years. Since his recovery began, he has enjoyed using his talent for words to help spread treatment resources, addiction awareness, and general health knowledge. In his free time, you can find him working with recovering addicts or outside enjoying about any type of fitness activity imaginable.
