by Dr. Marita Schauch, ND, Tall Tree Integrated Health Centre –
Summer is upon us, which means you may be thinking you missed the boat on hitting the gym for a summer body. Or perhaps each time you think about working out, you make up a million excuses for why you shouldn’t. Maybe you tell yourself you’re too old, overweight, tired or busy to start.
But here’s the thing: whether you begin exercising at age 20 or 70, in the middle of summer or the dead of winter, it’s never too late to reap its health benefits.
Contrary to what popular fitness Instagram accounts tell you, you don’t have to use an all-or-nothing approach to exercise, either. In fact, the simpler you keep your workouts, especially at the beginning, the more likely you’ll be able to stick with it. Simple exercise ideas include walking, jogging, yoga, tennis or 30-minute gym sessions. This is the perfect time of year to get out and get active in the sunshine.
Besides the long-preached benefits of exercising such as maintaining a healthy weight, reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes, let’s look at some of the other health benefits that you can reap by starting today.
Improve Your Mental Health
Exercise helps to produce chemicals like serotonin and endorphins, the brain’s “feel-good,” mood-boosting chemicals that help to relieve stress, anxiety and depression, and even better your sleep.
Build and Maintain Strong Muscles & Bones
As you age, you tend to lose muscle mass and bone density, which can lead to injury. Exercise helps to keep your muscles and bones healthy and strong. When you’re active, your body produces hormones that allow your muscles to better absorb amino acids. This is important because amino acids help to reduce the breakdown of your muscles and help them grow, keeping you strong into your late years.
Slow the Aging Process
Research shows that regular exercise helps to lower cholesterol, increase muscle mass, boost immunity and improve cognitive function as you age. Daily movement helps to slow aging at a cellular level, it prevents chronic illness commonly associated with aging, and can also decrease blood pressure and reduce insulin sensitivity.
Get Better Skin
Oxidative stress, which occurs due to free radical damage that the body’s antioxidant defenses cannot repair, can affect your skin health and cause damage. By exercising regularly, your body can produce more antioxidants, which help protect cells against free radical damage. Plus, physical movement can stimulate blood flow, adapt skin cells that can slow the appearance of aging, increase circulation and nutrients to the surface of skin, and release accumulated toxins.
It’s normal to experience a lot of resistance when beginning a new health routine, and it’s important to acknowledge that this is simply part of the process. Get a workout buddy, schedule exercise into your weekly calendar and focus on small, realistic goals that are achievable to hold yourself accountable. Focus on progress over perfection, and know that you are capable of improving your health using the power of exercise.
