Feeling trapped in your home by the wintery wind and the ever increasing mounds of snow outside your door? If so, you might want to try chasing the seasonal blues away by adding exercise to your daily routine. Don’t worry; I’m not going to preach to you about the benefits of beginning a jogging or weight lifting program. I merely want to propose exercise as a simple solution – one aimed at lifting your sagging spirits.
Consider the following:
1. Exercise costs nothing!
Isn’t that great? Something in today’s world that costs you nothing out of pocket. You don’t need special clothes or shoes to begin exercising. All you need to do is get up off the couch, or out of the recliner, and move. Dance, walk in place, or do jumping jacks…it’s that simple. Once you “jump start†your system with movement, you will feel greater amounts of energy flowing through your body. Companies bombard us with advertisements for expensive energy drinks and supplements, yet you don’t need to purchase those with your hard earned money. Get the same effect for FREE, by simply moving your body.
2. Exercise resets the mind!
Do you know how many times I have heard my middle-aged women friends say, “I’m not an exerciser?†Too many! What these women don’t know is that you don’t have to participate in team sports or be able to swim great lengths or even know how to golf to think of yourself as someone who exercises. Here’s a great example: my pastor and his wife began square dancing several years ago. In that time, they have lost weight, they have gained many friends, and they smile A LOT more. They have joined the ranks of those who have reset their minds to believe exercise encompasses lots of activities, including those that people deem as fun. So, get moving in any way that gives you joy, and reset your confidence level so that you think of yourself as one who exercises.
3. Exercise can decrease pain!
Have you ever been so sick you had to stay in bed for several days, only to be stiff when you finally recovered? Well, if you tend to sit or lay in bed too long, even when not ill, your body can actually become achy. My friend, a contractor, knows when he has worked too long on his computer, because his lower back will begin hurting. That’s his signal to get back out in the field and do physical labor. Even people who suffer from painful arthritis can benefit from movement. (For those with arthritis reading this article, make sure you check out the Arthritis Foundation website. Currently, they have an article concerning how Tai Chi can reduce back pain).
Convinced that exercise just may be your path to increased happiness? I hope so. It’s free, it helps to reset your mind by giving you increased confidence, and it can actually decrease pain. Exercise is not a magic happy pill, but it is pretty darn close.
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