EXERCISE | Healing Habits Week 3

Exercise! With a show of hands, how many of you actually enjoy exercise? When was the last time you exercised? Are you a gym-goer? Runner? Yogi at home? Or can you even remember the last time you purposefully exercised?

As of 2013 and according to the U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services, the national average of physical exercise was only 51.6% of the adult population. That’s exercising at least 3 times a week for a minimum of 30 minutes. Not only that, but only 1 in 3 children are physically active each day.

So really, only half of us exercise like we should. Myself included! And I get it. A lot of us are busy. And I mean busy. Many of us work full-time or possibly even two jobs. A lot of us also have kids and a family to take care of. At the end of the day, exercise may not be a priority. But what if it could save your life? Or at the very least, be a stress reliever? The good parts of exercising far outweigh the risks of doing it, especially if done properly!

Many of you may not know who I am, but I’ve been writing this Healing Habits Campaign as well as filling up your Instagram and Facebook pages the last few weeks. And I have had a lot of FUN doing it. Let me give you a quick bio on myself.

I’m a 30 year old nurse who works in medical/surgical and teach nurses! I’m a new mama and a wife of almost 5 years. I’ve never had an issue with my weight in that I’ve always been thin. I was lucky enough to have a great metabolism that has mostly allowed me to eat whatever I wanted without gaining weight. In high school and afterwards, I hated any physical activity except for hiking. Even then, it took a lot for me to start enjoying it. Then I hit my late twenties. Things slowed down, jeans got tight. I pushed myself to start running and lifting weights every now and then.

You know what happened?

I enjoyed it.

Sure, those first few runs were terrible and my body was so sore from it and from weight lifting, but I slowly saw positive changes in my body. And my mood. I was happier, I slept better, and my body started to naturally crave healthy food. The running got easier and the weights got heavier. I started to love working out. I branched out different types of cardio and found I truly loved spin classes, yoga, and other forms of exercise. But more than anything, I loved how it made me feel.

That being said, are you ready to start feeling good yourself? Not just mentally and emotionally, but the physical benefits of good exercise are worth every painful minute of it.

The Mayo Clinic lists 6 benefits of regular exercise. Read below and you can also click here to go directly to the website 🙂

1. Controls weight
   • As you exercise, you burn calories. This is turn can help you lose or maintain weight
2. Fights many physical conditions & diseases
   • Per the Mayo Clinic, “Regular exercise helps prevent or manage many health problems and concerns, including:
     • Stroke
     • Metabolic syndrome
     • High blood pressure
     • Type 2 diabetes
     • Depression
     • Anxiety
     • Many types of cancer
     • Arthritis
     • Falls
   • It can also help improve cognitive function and helps lower the risk of death from all causes” (Mayo Clinic)
3. Improved mood
   • Exercise stimulates certain chemicals in the brain that can significantly elevate your mood
4. It boosts energy
   • Sure, the next day or two you might be sore, but with consistency, you’ll notice you have more energy overall throughout the day and even your workouts or run or whatever you choose to do
5. Better sleep!
   • Per the Mayo Clinic, “Regular physical activity can help you fall asleep faster, get better sleep and deepen your sleep.”
6. It can be fun & improve your social life!
   • Just like exercise improves your mood, it can make your happier and make you want to go out more. You may even create a new social group depending on where you choose to exercise! Having a running buddy or workout partner holds you accountable but also makes it more fun.

I hope you enjoyed reading about just a few of the benefits of exercise. Be sure to follow VG Wellness on Instagram, Twitter, & Facebook to see daily posts this week about exercising!

What is your favorite way to stay active? Let me know in the comments below!

As with all exercise programs, always check with your physician, especially if you have any concerns about your fitness, haven’t exercised for a long time, have chronic health problems, such as heart disease, diabetes or arthritis.