Do you get daily exercise?
Alot of people groan when they hear the dreaded words “daily exercise”. I know Iused to. Who can be bothered, right?

But the thing about daily exercise is that it doesn’t have to be boring. And it doesn’t have to be HARD. Some people love to get out in the fresh air and take a good, brisk walk. Do that for 45 minutes a day and you’ve got it “made in theshade”. Personally, I hate walking outdoors because there is nothing nice to lookat near where I live and the weather is atrocious, especially in summer.

Some people love to play games. Competitive ones. If you are one of those people get out and play tennis, volleyball or whatever causes you to HAVE FUN!!!Many of us adults haven’t actually played a game since we were in school.. But, this is a great way to get daily exercise and have fun too. I used to play volleyball before I was married and it was so much fun to just play!

Some people love the water. Swimming is an ideal form of exercise. It providesextra resistance to your muscles without putting a strain on your joints.Swimming is also terrific for people with back trouble (especially swimming onyour back). Lots of people find swimming loads of fun. That’s another one that I hate because I don’t like getting water in my ears.

I, on the other hand, adore doing water aerobics. Water aerobics is a form of exercise that is usually performed in chest-high water. You don’t get all sweated up even though you are giving your body a real work out (and you don’t get water in your ears). It’s cool and refreshing because you are in the water. And, socially, it is a blast because you can work out with a group of friends (in my case - women) and chat while doing the exercise. Can you tell I LOVE water aerobics?

Last but not least, I wanted to mention going to the gym for daily exercise. I am one of those people who just loves going to the gym. At the gym there are different machines for aerobic exercise like the treadmill, various types of cross trainers and exercise bikes. There is also an array of weight machines, each one targetting a different set of muscles. I love the feeling of building up my resistance and strength in the different parts of my body. I like to do interval training, where I do 2 minutes on a cardio machine like the treadmill and then 2 minutes of weight training, on a low resistance - as many repetitions as I can. Then I go back to a cardio machine for another intensive 2 minutes. I keep doing this back and forth between the weight machines and the cardio until I finish my routine. Usually takes about 40 minutes and I get a fantastic workout.

Socially, I also love the gym because I meet all my gym buddies and we have a good time socializing between machines. Another advantage the gym has for me is that it’s air conditioned! That’s a big plus for me. Also, I can vary my routine if I find myself getting bored. All in all, it’s a great way for me to get my daily exercise.

And you know what? Every since I’ve started doing this seriously, it’s hard for me to miss more than a day at the gym. My body (and my mind) needs it almost like oxygen. The body gets used to the stimulation and gets disappointed if it doesn’t get any…

The benefits of exercise are really many.

Psychologically, it is well known that the brain releases endorphins while exercising. Endorphins are known as the “feel good” hormone. The first thing people suffering from depression are told is to get aerobic exercise every day. See all those people walking around your neighborhood? Many of them were told to by their therapists/psychiatrists!!

Physically, daily exercise is such a boon to the body. You burn fat, build muscle, increase your stamina, lower blood pressure, increase HDL (the “good” cholesterol) and so much more. You’ll even be burning more calories when you are in resting mode. The body just keeps burning fat way after you finish your workout.

Sure, diet is important for heart health. But, I would venture to say that daily exercise is equally, if not MORE important. Do yourself a favor and get moving.

It’ll change your life!!!

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