Unexpected Benefits of Exercise

People think of exercise primarily to lose weight. But the benefits of getting in regular workouts go far beyond simple weight loss. It solves a lot of different problems that you didn’t know were possible. Want better sleep? Exercise. Want better focus at work? Also exercise. Want to stabilize your moods? Try exercise. The fact is exercise helps your body in many ways. Here are some of the unexpected benefits of exercise.

Better Goal Setting

When one area of your life is out of control, it causes a domino effect. If you’re struggling with setting goals in life, exercise can help. Daily movement helps you set small incremental goals. As you reach them, you’ll discover that you can start setting small incremental goals in other areas of your life. The domino effect continues, and you’ll be better able to move your life in the direction you want it to go in.

Improved Sleep

They say not to workout right before bed but working out earlier in the day can have an incredible effect on your sleep. If you struggle to sleep at night, start working out a little each day. A long walk or a video workout through a company like Beachsweat.com can be just the right amount. The physical exertion gives your body what it needs to rest easier overnight.

Reduced Levels of Depression

In addition to medications, many medical professionals will encourage their patients to exercise daily. Why? Because it helps release happy hormones like dopamine in the brain. These natural chemicals can help improve some of the brain chemistry associated with depression. For people who experience mild sadness or seasonal affective disorder, exercise provides an opportunity to get outdoors as well.

Less Mood Swings

This one is for the ladies especially. Monthly hormone changes often lead to mood swings. This can be more intense for some women. By exercising daily, you release a variety of hormones and chemicals in the body which can help your moods stay stable.

Stabilizes Blood Sugar

There are a couple of ways to deal with blood sugar issues. One is by reducing the sugar load on the body. This causes the body to produce less insulin. The other is to exercise. By working out, you quickly burn off the excess sugar, and reduce your need for insulin.

More Focused

It’s hard to focus on work sometimes. Whether you have a case of the Mondays or Hump Day is distracting you, exercise is a fantastic solution. Regular exercise gets your physical energy out and helps your mind focus on what you need it to. Additionally, if you’re so distracted that you can’t work, exercise can help you clear your mind in that moment and then get back to working more quickly. Wasting 15 minutes surfing the web can be better used by taking a brisk walk.

Enhanced Memory

Do you feel like you have a harder time remembering things like you used to? Do you often forget where you put your keys, and can’t remember what appointments you have coming up? Exercise has incredible brain benefits and one of the ones that many people could use is enhanced memory. While it’s not a cure all, it certainly helps give your memory the boost it needs.

Make New Friends

Finding a buddy to workout with can be hard. Maybe your current circle of friends has other priorities. Exercise gives you the opportunity to reach out to running groups, find people at the gym, and make new friends who have similar goals. You may even find a lifelong friend in the process. Having common goals is one of the ways that people meet and connect with each other.

Improves Your Skin Tone

As people age, they often look for ways to make their skin better. Exercising regularly is one way to give your skin a natural glow and to improve the look and feel of it. And this is not just your face, but the tone of your whole body.

Final Thoughts

As you can see, exercise provides many incredible benefits. When you’re just looking to lose weight, you’ll find that you get to experience so much more. Better sleep, improved mental clarity, and less mood swings are just some of the improvements you’ll have when you exercise.