10 Reasons You Should Exercise That Don’t Include Weight Loss

The obvious reason to go to the gym: to get your sweat on and burn major calories. But that’s not the only reason you should go to the gym. Exercise is about far more than how many calories you track on the elliptical (fun fact: calorie counters on exercise equipment is rarely accurate). There are benefits galore that reach far beyond calories in vs. calories out.

Exercise improves self-esteem.

No doubt losing the love handles and seeing muscle in the mirror does wonders for body confidence, but exercise just for exercise-sake builds self-esteem in deeper ways. When you exercise, your body releases endorphins. Endorphins make you feel happier. When you finish a kick butt workout, you leave the gym feeling strong, confident and happy, like you can conquer anything – and you can.

You’ll sleep soundly.

The obvious reasoning here is that when you exercise, you wear out your muscles and body which makes you tired. Once again, there’s more to it. Exercise raises your body temperature. Once you’ve finished working out and your internal temp starts to decrease, your brain gets the signal that it’s time to sleep. Physical exhaustion + physiological sleep signals = good night moon.

Exercise fights symptoms of depression.

Studies have been done that link regular exercise and the resulting endorphin release with a decrease in the symptoms of depression and enhance your feeling of well-being. Moreover, when you’re in the gym and focused on your workout, you’re less likely to be anxious and worried. Specific activities, such as yoga, teach you to regulate your breathing and focus on your personal space and strength, which in turn teaches you how to deal with stress in everyday situations.

Your bones get stronger.

Building up bone density is especially important for women, who are prone to bone density loss with loss. Weak bones break easily – which, beyond the physical pain, prevents you from participating in the activities you love.

Exercise puts you in a better mood.

Not to sound like a broken record, but exercise releases happy hormones into your body, and those don’t disappear automatically when you walk out the door of the gym. That improved self-confidence that we talked about before serves to put you in a better mood for the rest of the days. Regular exercise means a regular boost. Over-achiever? Take your workout outdoors to soak up some vitamin sun while you sweat.

Exercise lowers your risk of developing certain diseases.

Diabetes, stroke, metabolic syndrome and even some types of cancers have an inverse relationship with exercise. Regular exercise = lowered risk of developing these diseases. Doctors recommend 150 minutes of moderate activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity (or a mix of the two), a week. Every little bit counts.

Your memory and learning abilities could improve.

Aerobic activity, the kind that leaves you huffing for air, has been connected in scientific study to changes in the brain that lead to improved memory and thinking. Exercise reduces inflammation and stimulates chemical growth factors in the brain – all beneficial to ‘membering all the things.

You’ll get more “me time”.

Whether you’re willing to say it out loud or not, there are days when all you want is a little time to yourself. There’s no better excuse than “honey, watch the kids, I’m going to the gym”. For me, the break between work and home life is absolutely necessary. I get to hash out the day in my head, plan dinner and release pent up stress that built up during the work day while at the gym. No need to take that home with you.

You can say goodbye to PMS.

Regular exercise decreases PMS symptoms of bloating, irritation and pain during that time of the month. This creates a happy cycle – the less likely you are to experience painful and annoying PMS symptoms, the more likely you are to head to the gym in the first place!

You’re more inclined to make healthy decisions healthy decisions.

After exercise, you’re far less likely to reach for the junk food than you are after say, sitting on the couch for 2 hours. Instead, you’re more likely to make smart eating decisions – your body is asking for real fuel and you’ll do what you can to not undermine the work you just put in.

The gym is an excellent place to go in search of weight loss. But keep in mind that even if the scale isn’t moving as quickly as you want it to, you are still reaping the benefits.

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