We all know that the last week of December is for eating all of the foods you say you won’t eat in the New Year and doing the least amount of physical activity possible. We do this because we tell ourselves that starting January first, the gym will become our second home and kale will become our new best friend. Honestly, there is nothing wrong with that at all. Making the goal to become more physically active and healthy is an amazing goal!
A lot of people just do this with the wrong mindset. They see the goal as temporary or if they aren’t perfect, they give up and say they will just “try again next year”. They make excuse after excuse, but guess what? You have just as many hours in a day as Beyonce. If she can find time to stay healthy then so can you. It’s not always in the big things, a lot of the time being and staying healthy is found in the little things. I’m going to give you a few reasons why you should keep your resolution of going to the gym this year for reasons that don’t have to do with just looking good, but feeling good, too.
The first reason has to do with your physical body, not the outside, but the inside. Regularly exercising helps prevent many health conditions and diseases: heart disease, high blood pressure, arthritis, diabetes, and more. The list could go on and on. So, strap on your tennis shoes and go for a run, so you can stay healthier and live longer to give you more time to take over the world.
Exercise helps to improve your mental health. As we all learned from Elle Woods, exercise releases endorphins and endorphins make you happy (and of course, happy people don’t kill their husbands). Regular physical activity can help combat depression, anxiety, ADHD, and more. Even if you don’t have a diagnosed mental health condition, working out can still help relieve stress or make a bad day a little better.
Lastly, Exercise can boost your energy levels. I know it sounds crazy that doing something that requires exerting energy can actually give you energy. It’s actually true though! Getting up and moving will help keep you awake during long days full of classes, study sessions, and having to read endless chapters in your Biology book.
Let’s all make a pact to keep up our resolutions this year. No matter what size you are, you are perfect just the way you are. So, let’s head to the gym and drink lots of water, because we want to take care of ourselves and love our bodies.