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Benefits of Exercise
Please speak with your doctor before starting any physical activity.

We have all been told that exercise is good for us.  But do we know how and in how many ways?  Understanding the benefits and how they apply to us personally will encourage a positive change in our behavior.
 
Regular exercise:

- Improves overall general health.
- Helps you lose, maintain and control fat.
- Helps to raise your metabolism (BMR: basal metabolic rate)
- Helps you maintain your resting metabolic rate to prevent weight gain.
- Helps your body burn fat as a primary energy source.
- Helps build and maintain healthy bones, muscles, and joints.
- Increases your level of muscular strength and endurance.
- Tones muscles.
- Maintains and/or improves joint integrity.
- Helps you to become more agile and feel "lighter."
- Increases your energy level, stamina and ability to do continuous work.
- Improves balance, posture and coordination.
- Improves your appearance and helps you look younger.
- Improves skin tone and color.
- Improves the functioning of your immune system.
- Improves your body’s ability to deliver oxygen to your working muscles (cardiovascular system).
- Improves blood circulation and delivers increased amounts of oxygen to your vital organs (cardiovascular system).
- Lowers your resting heart rate, by allowing your heart to pump more blood per beat. This means your heart is not working as hard when you are at rest.
- Reduces the risk of heart disease.
- Helps you manage stress more effectively.
- Enhances your ability to relax.
- Can improve your quality of sleep.
- Helps prevent the onset of diabetes.
- Lowers and/or helps control your blood pressure and helps reduce blood pressure in people who already have high blood pressure.
- Reduces high cholesterol levels and helps to maintain healthy levels.
- Reduces the risk of having a stroke.
- Increases and/or maintains your bone mineral density to prevent osteoporosis.
- Reduces the risk of developing certain types of cancer, such as breast and colon cancer.
- Improves your self-esteem and level of confidence.
- Can teach you about goal-setting, dedication and success.
- Improves mental acuity and your ability to make better decisions.
- Acts as a motivator to improve your diet.
- Can improve romance and restore the libido.
- Reduces feelings of depression and anxiety.
- Can assist in the healing process related to trauma.
- Acts as a natural mood enhancer.
- Improves overall psychological well-being.
- Promotes mind/body/spirit vitality.
- Slows the aging process.
- Helps older adults become stronger and better able to move about without falling.
- Increases flexibility.
- Provides protection against injury.
- Improves the body’s ability to recover from an injury or illness.

Which of these benefits spark your motivation? Write them down, post them where you will see them every day.  Use the motivation to fuel your work outs.

If you would like a worksheet to track your fitness progress, please scroll down and print the Fit Test attachment.  The Directions are written as if a Personal Trainer were conducting a Fit Test on a client. Hey, this keeps it extra healthy, right? (see below- scroll)

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This information should not serve as a replacement for therapy.  Please visit the Can Therapy Help Me page for more information if you think you may have an eating disorder, or should require individualized help.
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