This guest post originally appeared on Anna’s 1st blog, Annamotion.
The day when I decided to start working out daily, I kinda hated myself. Yes, it was a decision and I’m pretty brave enough to say that everyone should start with that. But it was a tough one, you know. ‘Cause till that day, exercises were something not so common in my life. Something that I used to do, and quite enjoyed it, but it seemed that I don’t actually have enough time for that. There were dozens of reasons why I didn’t see working out as something very important to me, my work, my health, and life in general. But once I started doing it and it became a habit–I realized how much I was missing.
Life is different when you’re working out ’cause you’re different–you’re definitely better! You’re feeling better, thinking better about yourself, you’re more energetic and motivated, less upset, and definitely healthier and stronger. That boosts your self-esteem and confidence, that also improves your work’s quality, and even affects your friendships and relationships in a better way! There are many reasons why you should start working out daily and why it’s so important. But today I’d like to share with you 5 reasons which I find most important, so let’s begin with the health:
1. It’s really good for your health.
However cliche that sounds, and yes, you’ve heard it a million times, but the exercise combats health conditions and diseases. Being active boosts high-density lipoprotein, cholesterol, and decreases unhealthy triglycerides. It will also prevent or manage a wide range of health problems and concerns, including stroke, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, depression, certain types of cancer, arthritic, and falls.
2. Workouts improve mood.
There are certain days when we wake up and like to blame everything around us for the bad mood, but many of us do nothing. These days happen to me as well. And if I’m working a lot, then they are quite regular. But once I push myself and start stretching or at least do a couple of squats–that very much cheers me up and the bad mood is gone! Exercises and physical activity deliver oxygen and nutrients to your tissues and help your cardiovascular system work more efficiently. And when your heart and lungs work more efficiently, you have more energy to go about your daily chores.
3. Exercise promotes better sleep.
You should avoid working out just before bed, but try it in the evening, give at least one week, and you’ll see what a good sleep you’ll get and how energetic you’ll feel the next morning!
4. It’s good for your mental health.
When you exercise, your body releases chemicals called endorphins, ya heard about them! They interact with the receptors in your brain that reduce your perception of pain. Endorphins also trigger a positive feeling in the body, similar to that of morphine. For example, the feeling that follows a run or workout is often described as “euphoric.” It reduces stress, wards off anxiety and depression, and it also boost the self-esteem!
5. Working out teaches you discipline.
And that is very good for your career, also! From learning the basics of a certain exercise, to memorizing steps, attending all classes, setting (and reaching!) goals, respecting a new diet, committing, trying, failing and trying again. Cutting your teeth on a new activity and dedicating yourself to reaching your goals can help you to develop a natural discipline that will help you in your career, freelance work, or business, too.
And these are the top 5 things that come to my head when I think of working out. There are definitely more advantages than that, but I guess these are quite enough to get you started! Aren’t they? Either way–I also have a few exercises for ya, which are just another proof that there are no excuses not to workout–you can do that even at the beach, mostly in a horizontal position, without doing much! 🙂
A very comfy side hollow: hold your body in tight side hollow position, support your upper body and head with your forearm. Most importantly–keep your legs straight and together. Hold this for 30 seconds, 2 repetitions, do it for both sides.
Front hollow position: hold this position only on your butt, lock your hands behind the occiput, keep your legs straight and tightly together. Hold it for 30 seconds, 3 repetitions.
Advanced side plank: support your body with a forearm and calf, keep your other hand and leg in a straight, tight horizontal line. Hold it for 30 seconds, 2 repetitions for both sides. P.S. Your hand and foot are stretching apart while planking. Don’t forget to breathe!
Good cat and a bad cat: do it as you see in the pictures above! The exercise is quite simple. Most importantly, make sure to keep your hands and legs straight and your shoulder blades together while bending down! Don’t forget to breathe in and out!
Back hollow stretch: support your upper body with your hands, bend backwards and push your chin in front of you as far as possible. Try two positions of shoulder blades–together and apart!
Chest and arms stretch: (this one’s from the e-course! See the end of this post for more info!) Put your hands behind your back until you feel the stretch in a frontal part of your shoulders and chest. Try to reach as far as possible. Continue deep breathing while stretching and sunbathing! 🙂
Lateral core and abductors stretch: position your legs as you see in the picture, place your arm on your neck and bend sideways toward straight leg. Reach up as far as possible with an elbow, for more–stretch in your torso. Hold it for 1 minute, 2 repetitions, do it for both sides.
Thigh stretch: sit down, put your heel under the hip, move away with your shoulders from the knee. You can support yourself with an elbow or just lie down on your back. Hold it for 1 minute, do it for both legs.
Free Fitness E-Course
Note from Anna: Did you like this workout? Vaida has a great FREE Fitness E-Course with other workouts, covering each part of your body throughout the week. I signed up for it and it has been super helpful to me! Before participating in her e-course, I struggled to find a good workout routine for me, especially in my busyness of wedding planning! My weak little self wasn’t able to make it through all of the repetitions the first go around, but after doing it each week I’m SO close to making it all the way through the repetitions!!! That’s some major improvement! I highly recommend this for anyone who, like me, wanted to do the right thing for my physical and mental health, but didn’t know where to start. She describes each exercise and also demonstrates them in high quality videos.
Hear more about it straight from Vaida!:
It’s a free 7 day fitness e-course, which will motivate and help you to find more time to exercise daily. It ain’t about regular muscle building. We’ll be looking deeper into each exercise and working out in a smarter way. If you want your results to last and aren’t looking for some pointless exercise–then this is FOR YOU! No gear needed. And it’s suitable for both beginners and advanced.
Sign up for this free fitness e-course by clicking here!
I’m Vaida, brand and blog designer, photographer and lifestyle blogger. I help creative entrepreneurs, businesses, and bloggers to grow their brands and build their visual identity. For more of my design services and blog, you can check over on my website.
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