Why Exercise? 20 Reasons!
By Michael Stefano
eDiets.com Guest Columnist
Accomplish your weight-loss goals with the help of Oprah's personal trainer, Bob Greene
. Try his Total Body Makeover, along with eDiet's support system, shopping lists and recipes, by clicking here. Make your health your top priority. With all we now know about the benefits of exercise, it's hard to believe more Americans don't work out. It's the closest thing yet to the fountain of youth, and truly the ONLY way to change the appearance, shape, and strength of your body.
In addition, the health benefits associated with an intelligently orchestrated strength, flexibility and cardiovascular training program can add quality years to your life.
Everyone exercises for different reasons. But no matter your initial motivation, you still get ALL the benefits. Below is a list of 20 reasons why you should work out. If you can find even one benefit on this list, you'll have enough reason to begin an exercise program and take steps to take care of yourself. For a great workout, click here and let me help.
Regular exercise can...
- Help you lose weight, especially fat
- Improve your physical appearance
- Increase your level of muscular strength and endurance
- Maintain your resting metabolic rate to prevent weight gain
- Increase your stamina and ability to do continuous work
- Improve fitness levels, or your body's ability to use oxygen
- Provide protection against injury
- Improve your balance and coordination
- Increase bone mineral density to prevent osteoporosis
- Lower resting heart rate and blood pressure
- Lower Body Mass Index (BMI) -- your fat-to-height ratio
- Reduce triglycerides, bad cholesterol (LDL), raises good cholesterol (HDL)
- Enhance sexual desire and performance
- Reduce heart disease risk and stroke
- Reduce the risk of developing certain types of cancer
- Increase insulin sensitivity -- prevents type 2 diabetes
- Reduce your level of anxiety and help you manage stress
- Improve function of the immune system
- Improve your self-esteem and restore confidence
- Help you sleep better, relax, and improve mood
The bench press, a simple exercise, is great example of a movement that, when done properly, delivers big results in less time.
Benefits: Tones the chest, shoulders, and triceps while building strength and endurance in the upper body.
Instructions: Lie supine (flat on your back) on your bench holding dumbbells at your shoulders (elbows bent at about 90 degrees), feet planted firmly on the floor. Exhale and slowly press both dumbbells straight up and toward the ceiling. Inhale and in a slow and controlled manner, lower weights to the starting position. Use dumbbells that will allow you to hit muscle fatigue in the range of 10 to 20 repetitions.
Trainer's Note: The bench press, a very simple but effective movement, has long been considered the number one exercise for the upper body. It can be performed with dumbbells, with a barbell, on a Smith Machine or other chest press machine at a health club.
The fitness pros at eDiets can show you how to combine exercise and nutrition to get the best results. This is what you’ve been looking for. You will need to make the commitment, but isn’t it time to finally take care of you? Click here to get started.
