I don’t have time to exercise
If we’re really honest with ourselves we can all find 3 blocks of 30 minutes every week when we’re not busy.
We all lead busy lives so if you’re still adamant you don’t have the time, ask yourself if your response would be the same if someone invited you to go out for a meal, or to see your favourite band this week? Don’t beat yourself up, you’re not alone. We all manage to make time for the activities we really want to do, so why do so many of us struggle to make time for exercise? The answer is probably nothing to do with time and more likely just another excuse.
1. Exercise controls weight
Exercise can help prevent excess weight gain or help maintain weight loss. When you engage in physical activity, you burn calories. The more intense the activity, the more calories you burn. You can also get personal training dublin for a workout routine suited to your fitness level.
Regular trips to the gym are great, but don’t worry if you can’t find a large chunk of time to exercise every day. Any amount of activity is better than none at all. To reap the benefits of exercise, just get more active throughout your day — take the stairs instead of the elevator or rev up your household chores. Consistency is key.
2. Exercise combats health conditions and diseases
Worried about heart disease? Hoping to prevent high blood pressure? No matter what your current weight is, being active boosts high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, the “good” cholesterol, and it decreases unhealthy triglycerides. This one-two punch keeps your blood flowing smoothly, which decreases your risk of cardiovascular diseases.
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.
3. Exercise improves mood
Need an emotional lift? Or need to blow off some steam after a stressful day? A gym session or brisk walk can help. Physical activity stimulates various brain chemicals that may leave you feeling happier, more relaxed and less anxious.
You may also feel better about your appearance and yourself when you exercise regularly, which can boost your confidence and improve your self-esteem.
4. Exercise boosts energy
Winded by grocery shopping or household chores? Regular physical activity can improve your muscle strength and boost your endurance.
Exercise delivers oxygen and nutrients to your tissues and helps your cardiovascular system work more efficiently. And when your heart and lung health improve, you have more energy to tackle daily chores, go on walks or a hike (you will need a Hiking Backpacks for your adventure), try new things and workouts that make you happy and make them part of your routine.
5. Exercise promotes better sleep
Struggling to snooze? Regular physical activity can help you fall asleep faster, get better sleep and deepen your sleep. Just don’t exercise too close to bedtime, or you may be too energized to go to sleep.
6. Exercise puts the spark back into your sex life
Do you feel too tired or too out of shape to enjoy physical intimacy? Regular physical activity can improve energy levels and increase your confidence about your physical appearance, which may boost your sex life.
We’ve pulled together some ways you can overcome this excuse and find a little extra time to be more active.
OK, say just maybe you’re one super organised person who has every hour of each day planned out. Then your solution is to literally create more hours in the day.
Put simply, set your alarm clock half an hour earlier 3 mornings a week and spend this time being active.
Being active in the morning also has the other added benefit of rarely being cancelled due to something else getting in the way later in the day.
Your 30 minutes of exercise do not have to be done all at once. As long as your heart rate is elevated for a minimum of 7 minutes, this will count towards your daily 30 minutes of exercise.
There are a whole host of clever fitness apps designed to make good use of short bursts of time. Search the App or Play Store to get some inspiration and see what works for you.
Not sure where your days go? Check out Rescue Time which tracks how you spend your digital time enabling you to improve inefficiencies and free up time in the process.
You are more likely to stick to an exercise routine if you block out time in your calendar, as you would another appointment. Try to keep the time sacred and not let other things distract you from your activity time.
If you know you are not a morning person, don’t plan set yourself up for failure by planning to be first at the gym at 6am. It’s important that your plan is realistic and achievable to maximise your chances of success.
Exercise doesn’t have to take place in a gym or leisure centre. One easy way to be more active is to build more exercise around day to day activities.
