Exercise is a powerful tool to improve both your physical and mental health. Even though we know these health benefits, it is useful to see them listed in black and white. That way, we can no longer get away from not incorporating more exercise into our daily routine. Below, we give you honest, achievable tips that really work to incorporate exercise into your daily routine.
Physical Health Benefits
- Improved Heart Health: Regular exercise strengthens your heart, lowers blood pressure and reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease.
- Weight management: Exercising burns calories, which helps you maintain or achieve a healthy weight.
- Stronger muscles and bones: Activities such as strength training and weight-bearing exercises increase your muscle mass and bone density, which is especially important as you get older.
- Improved Stamina: Aerobic activities such as walking, running and swimming improve your stamina and energy levels.
Mental Health Benefits
- Stress reduction: Exercise helps reduce stress by stimulating the production of endorphins, the so-called feel-good hormones .
- Improved sleep quality: Regular physical activity can help you sleep better and deeper.
- Increased Self-confidence: With the physical changes and improved fitness, your self-confidence grows.
- Prevention of depression and anxiety: Physical activity has a positive effect on your mood and can reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety .
Tips for Daily Exercise
- Create a Schedule: Plan specific times for your workouts, just as you would with other appointments. You reserve a place in your calendar and this appointment with yourself is as important as the other appointments in your calendar. Sometimes it helps to schedule a run or walk at the same time. You are then more likely to do it effectively.
- Small Steps: Start with small changes, such as taking the stairs instead of the lift or a short walk during your lunch break. Wanting too much and too fast is unrealistic and impossible to sustain in the long run. Start with realistic goals that you can raise when things are going well.
- Know that everyone has a own level has and reality must always be seen in the context of that person at that moment. If you move, that's a step forward anyway. No one is going to judge you on your physicality, your pace, your performance. Remember, you are doing this for yourself. You are doing this because you want to grow, relax, live healthier, you want to de-connect, you want to give yourself a moment of rest. If you can still babble this means you are definitely not going too fast :-).
- When you are really too tired or really dreading it completely, it is sometimes better to skip a session for a while. There will be many next times. It is important not to see this as a failure and to look forward to the next session. Listen to your body is part of the process. Of course, this cannot be the excuse every time.
- Combine with Social Activities: Go hiking, cycling or exercising with friends or family. Be careful that these friends take into account your pace so that it remains fun for you too.
- Keep it Fun: Choose activities you enjoy so that it is easier to stick to. Try different sports or group classes to find out what appeals to you most.
- Similarly, avoid additional medication by proper and balanced eating habits in. By eating fewer sugars and toxins, we start giving our bodies more energy, such that we are also more inclined to be active.
- Use Technology: Apps and fitness trackers can motivate you and help you track your progress. Those same apps should not make you go maniacal by setting the bar too high.
By exercising regularly, you not only improve your physical health but also strengthen your mental resilience. Start taking small steps today and gradually work towards a more active lifestyle.
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