From Clear Skin To Better Sex, Working Out Does A Lot More For Your Health Than Just Weight Loss
When you think of working out every day, you probably automatically relate that to weight loss. But while some women may use exercise as a fat-loss tool, there are actually many more important reasons why you should be prioritizing daily movement in your life.
There are endless benefits to hitting the gym regularly, but they're rarely talked about because so many people are hung up on the aesthetic results of working out, which are fantastic as well, but the change in physique is actually a byproduct of the true magic of exercise. Whether you want to focus on having children, relieve chronic pain, or sleep better, it pays big time to incorporate working out into your daily routine.
Here's a list of benefits you get from regular exercise – and this is just the tip of the iceberg.
Better Menstrual Health and Fertility
Many studies have shown that exercise helps manage symptoms of PMS and menstrual disorders, which is why so many clinicians will recommend working out to women who struggle with menstrual issues. Working out can also give you a boost of energy when you feel tired or rundown from your period. Exercise can even help you balance your hormones, improve insulin levels, and reduce stress – all of which contribute to boosting your fertility. If you're someone who is struggling with difficult periods or infertility, working out regularly, whether it's lifting weights or doing cardio, can certainly help you improve these areas.
Exercise can even help you balance your hormones.
Increased Sex Drive
More exercise equals a better sex life, for many reasons. When working out, your blood flow to your sexual organs increases and you also experience better lubrication during sex. Plus, working out boosts your testosterone levels – and yes, that's a good thing for women. You need healthy testosterone levels to feel sexually interested in your partner on a regular basis. One study found that just 20 minutes of exercise can boost your sexual arousal by 169%! It even comes down to your level of self-confidence and feeling comfortable in your own skin. Hitting the gym often boosts your self-esteem and makes you much more confident in romantic settings, especially in the bedroom.
Less Likelihood of Depression and Anxiety
Studies have shown that walking for an hour or running for 15 minutes can reduce the risk of major depression. In a society where we are cooped up inside for many hours at a time and we don't get outside much, it's easy to allow your mood to drop. But working out regularly drops your likelihood of depression by 26%. Working out regularly also helps prevent anxiety as it boosts serotonin in the brain, managing mood swings and leading to more clarity of mind. Simply put, exercise is the ultimate stress reliever.
20 minutes of exercise can boost your sexual arousal by 169%.
Relief from Chronic Pain
Working out regularly decreases inflammation, increases mobility, and boosts blood flow. This all helps to relieve chronic pain, whether you're dealing with an injury, suffering from a disorder or disease, etc. Going through life with chronic pain can be extremely disheartening and leave you feeling disconnected from your own life. That's why it's so important to prioritize daily movement and regular exercise.
Improved Sleep
Sleep is the bedrock of health that very rarely gets talked about. It's nearly impossible to find a healthy person who has poor sleep on a regular basis. The great thing about working out normally is that your sleep will improve, almost immediately. Studies show that exercise helps you fall asleep sooner and stay asleep longer, as well as improve the quality of your sleep, such as getting more deep sleep (which is the most restorative phase of sleep) and REM sleep. Hit the gym normally and sleep better than ever.
Hit the gym normally and sleep better than ever.
Clearer Skin
The common thought is that working out will sweat out the toxins from your skin, thus giving you that fresh, dewy look that we all want. That's not exactly the case. But exercise does increase blood flow to your liver, which is responsible for flushing out toxins, and help flush cellular debris out of the system, which helps you develop that clear skin we all desire. Additionally, working out regularly reduces stress, which is known to improve the quality of your skin over time.
Closing Thoughts
There's a misconception that you have to go to the gym for an hour every day to see results. That's not true. You can start small by prioritizing one outdoor walk a day and build from there. Strength training comes in many different forms. Lifting weights is of course the most common way to strength train, but there are ways to strength train by just doing bodyweight exercises as well. Whatever you choose, just be consistent and enjoy it!