People often get discouraged from working out because they focus too much on losing weight. It seems unachievable. If losing weight is your only motivation for going to the gym, it might seem pointless because immediate weight loss isn’t possible. However, there are so many other good reasons to try to put the time in and make the trip to the gym.
I try to go to the gym at least four times a week. I don’t go because I’m trying to avoid the infamous “freshman fifteen.” Working out allows me clear my mind. When I’m working out, all I focus on is my workout instead of the stress of everything else I have to do. In a way, exercise becomes a form of relaxation for me.
Have you ever been working out hard and everything hurts and then suddenly the pain goes away and you feel amazing? This isn’t a mystery feeling; it is called a “runner’s high.” As someone who swims, I typically experience this feeling in the pool. It is called a high and I understand why. This feeling is addicting and keeps me coming back and pushing myself. It’s hard to explain if you’ve never experienced it, but it is a great feeling. Once you feel it once, you will keep coming back for it.
Even though my body may ache while I am exercising, I overall feel good after I work out. Exercise improves your mood by releasing chemicals. While it may seem not important, this release of chemicals can really impact the whole way you live life. When I feel good, I look at the world more positively and then everything just seems better. I believe that exercise can trigger a cycle of positivity in your life.
When a person works out, their heart has to beat faster to pump the extra blood needed for the activity. This increased heartbeat activates a lot of things within the body. According to Mayo Clinic, regular exercise boosts the production of good cholesterol while decreasing the bad kind. While that won’t necessarily promote weight loss, it is still very good for your body. In my opinion, being healthy is more important than the “perfect” gym body.
The good news is that it is not hard to incorporate regular exercise into your life. Mayo clinic recommends 150 minutes of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of intense exercise a week. While that number may sound like a lot, that really only ends up being around ten minutes a day of intense exercise a day. Or, even if you can only fit it in four days a week, that means a twenty minute workout. Moderate exercise is even easier to fit into a schedule. Simply walking around campus counts as moderate exercise.
So, the next time you go to the gym, focus less on losing weight and more about feeling good and doing the right thing for your body. Since there are so many benefits of exercise, I think everyone should give it a shot. My favorite thing is that being healthy isn’t as hard as it seems. Sometimes, being healthy really is just going for a walk after class. In the end, the only thing that matters is being physically and mentally healthy, and I think regular exercise is a great way to do that.