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126 reasons to start exercising now

by cityfitness, 2 August 2012

A good life is a state of good balance. What this means is that by making a decision to be fit and then recognising that good enough is good enough, you can balance everything that is important in your life. Part of the reason that you can achieve this balance is that you have a high level of self-esteem because you’ve taken control of yourself. Regardless of what anyone else says on the subject, it is widely agreed that part of balance is the ability to cope and deal with things in a positive way. Fitness allows you to cope. So if you’re not getting the most out of life and you’re feeling underwhelmed exercise might be a great way to begin living the life deserve!

Here are 126 reasons to start exercising now!

1. Increases your self-confidence and self esteem
2. Improves your digestion
3. Helps you sleep better
4. Gives you more energy
5. Adds a healthy glow to your complexion
6. Strengthens your immune system
7. Improves your body shape
8. Burns up extra calories
9. Tones and firms your muscles
10. Provides more muscle definition
11. Improves circulation and helps lower blood pressure
12. Lifts your spirits
13. Reduces tension and stress
14. Helps you to lose weight and keeps you at your right body weight
15. Makes you limber/flexible
16. Builds strength
17. Improves endurance
18. Increases lean muscle tissue in your body
19. Improves your appetite for healthy food
20. Alleviates menstrual cramps
21. Alters and improves muscle chemistry
22. Increases your metabolic rate
23. Improves coordination and balance
24. Improves your posture
25. Eases and may eliminate back problems and pain
26. Alters the way your body uses calories
27. Lowers your resting heart rate
28. Increases muscle size by increasing muscle fibres
29. Improves storage of glycogen
30. Enables your body to use nutrients more efficiently
31. Increases the enzymes in the body that burn fat
32. Increases the number and size of mitochondria in each muscle cell
33. Strengthens your bones
34. Increases the concentration of myoglobin, which carries oxygen, in the skeletal muscles
35. Enhances oxygen transport throughout the body
36. Improves liver function
37. Increases the speed of muscle contraction and therefore reaction time
38. Enhances feedback through the nervous system
39. Strengthens the heart
40. Improves blood flow through the body
41. Helps alleviate varicose veins
42. Increases maximum cardiac output because of an increase in stroke volume
43. Increases contractility of the heart’s ventricles
44. Increases the weight of the heart
45. Increases heart size
46. Improves contractile function of the whole heart
47. Makes calcium transport in the heart and the entire body more efficient
48. Helps prevent heart disease
49. Increases the level of HDL (high-density lipoprotein)
50. Decreases LDL (low-density lipoprotein)
51. Decreases cholesterol
52. Decreases triglycerides
53. Increases total haemoglobin, which carries oxygen in the red blood cells
54. Increases the bloods alkaline reserve (buffering capacity)
55. Improves the body’s ability to remove lactic acid
56. Improves the body’s ability to decrease heart rate after exercise
57. Increases the number of capillaries that are open during exercise as opposed to when at rest
58. Improves blood flow to the active muscles at the peak of training
59. Enhances the function of the cardiovascular system
60. Enhances the function of the cardio-respiratory system
61. Improves efficiency in breathing
62. Increases respiratory capacity
63. Improves ventilation of the alveoli (air sacs in the lungs)
64. Lessens sensitivity to the buildu8p of CO²
65. Improves breathing, in that less ventilation is required per litre of 0² (oxygen)
66. Improves bone metabolism
67. Decreases the chances of developing osteoporosis
68. Improves the development and strength of connective tissue
69. Lowers your risk of death from cancer
70. Improves resistance to infectious diseases
71. Enhances neuromuscular relaxation
72. Enables you to relax more quickly and completely
73. Alleviates depression
74. Improves emotional stability
75. Enhances clarity of the mind
76. Makes you feel good
77. Increase the efficiency of your sweat glands
78. Enables you to stay warmer in colder environments
79. Helps you respond more effectively to heat, since sweating begins at a lower body temperature
80. Improves your body’s overall composition
81. Increases body density
82. Decreases fat tissue more easily
83. Helps you make your body more agile
84. Increases your positive attitude about yourself and your life
85. Increases the level of the hormone norepinephrine, which boosts the spirits
86. Stimulates release of hormones that alleviate pain
87. Alleviates constipation
88. Increases the efficiency with which adrenalin is used, resulting in more energy
89. Enables you to meet new friends and develop fulfilling relationships
90. Enables you to socialise at the same time that you are getting into shape
91. Helps you move past self-imposed limitations
92. Gives you a great appreciate for life because you feel better about yourself
93. Enables you to enjoy all types of physical activities more
94. Makes your clothes look better on you
95. Makes it easier to exercise consistently because you like the way you look and feel and don’t want to lose it
96. Gives you greater desire to participate 100 percent in life – to take more risks – as a result of increased confidence and self-esteem
97. Improves athletic performance
98. Enhances sexual performance
99. Improves the whole quality of your life
100. Helps you live longer and better, giving you an extra hour of life for every hour of exercise
101. Is the greatest tune-up for the body
102. Reduces joint discomfort
103. Increases your range of motion
104. Gives you a feeling of control or mastery over your life and the belief that you can create any reality that you want
105. Stimulates and improves concentration
106. Brings colour to your cheeks
107. Decreases appetite when you work out for 20 minutes to one hour
108. Gets your mind off irritations
109. Stimulates a feeling of well-being and accomplishment
110. Invigorates the body and mind
111. Is a wonderful way to enjoy nature and the great outdoors
112. Increases the body’s awareness of itself
113. Reduces or prevents boredom
114. Increases your awareness of your gait
115. Enables you to move from left-brain to right-brain thinking
116. Can change the electrical activity in the brain from beta to alpha waves
117. Increases your ability to solve problems more easily and often effortlessly
118. Gives you a clearer perspective on ideas, issues, problems, and challenges
119. Releases blockages and limitations in thinking
120. Affords you the opportunity to experience your fullest potential
121. Reduces illness
122. Helps you live longer
123. Makes you feel better each and every day
124. Makes you feel more alive in your spirit
125. Makes people look at you and say, ‘Wow, you look great’
126. Improves the whole quality of your life

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