Exercise is something everyone should partake in. It is good for the body, mind and general well-being.

7 reasons why regular exercise is good for you

The mayoclinic shares 7 reasons why regular exercise is good for you. I agree with all of them and especially numbers 1 and 4.

1 Exercise improves your mood
2 Exercise combats chronic disease
3 Exercise helps you manage your weight
4 Exercise boosts your energy level
5 Exercise promotes better sleep
6 Exercise can put the spark back into your sex life
7 Exercise can be fun!

Exercise can mean one thing to one person and something completely different to another. Maybe one person walks or plays ping-pong for exercise and another goes rock climbing and swimming. Both people are exercising and doing what works for them.

I haven’t always been the exerciser that I am today. Years back I would be a runner for about 6 months out of the year. I would be in a running kick but then get bored and unmotivated. At different times throughout the year I would follow exercise videos in a random fashion, doing what I wanted and nothing more.

It wasn’t until I actually committed to my fitness and have been consistent ever since. If it were not for my consistency I doubt I would be able to follow P90X like I have.

If you have a goal of becoming more fit, or have an exercise goal you want to meet here are a few tips that will hopefully help you get there.

Getting started to meet your fitness goals

Make a plan

Like with anything in life a plan is needed. If you are really going to commit yourself to this then write it down. Write down your goal(s), how you will achieve them, what obstacles might get in your way, how you will overcome those obstacles, and how you will assess your success. If it is in writing and especially if you post it somewhere you will see it then you will be more likely to stick with your plan.

Start small

If you are not a regular exerciser then beginning with 60 minutes intense workouts each day is not where you should start. You want to train your body slowly to prevent injury. Assess where you are at physically. Maybe you start walking three times a week and then add-on 1 day of easy jogging and light to moderate strength training. You want to build a solid foundations at first. Just make sure not to add too much all at one time or else you may wear yourself out or worse – get injured. Injury is something you want to avoid. It will only make you have to take more steps back instead of forward to your fitness goal.

Be consistent

A lot of the time you may not see immediate changes in your body (if that is one of your goals) when you begin an exercise program. Don’t let this discourage you. Consistency is key with exercise. Consistency will help make changes and improvements. Just like with fad diets – a quick fix is not the key to success – consistency is. Make one of your goals to stick with this for at least 1 month.

Make it a habit

After sticking with your program for 1 month it should start to become a habit. You probably have a certain time of the day you exercise so it’s become a routine you should be getting used to. When it’s a habit it becomes second nature. Exercise is something that should just be a normal thing you do. Like I said earlier, it is good for your body, mind and well-being. A habit will be easier for you to stick with which will then turn to greater results and changes.

Heather