Dear Fun & Fit: People tell me all the time that exercise is good for me for many reasons, but I can only think of one — weight loss. What are the other reasons?
— Hates to Exercise in Hygiene, Colo.
Great question. And I’d ask about your city, but I lived near there and know it exists. It is a “unique” name for a town, and I sure am tempted to say, “Hi, Jean!”
There actually are quite a few great reasons to exercise, yet we’ll just give you the seven that the Mayo Clinic touts, starting with the one you already know:
» 1. Helps manage weight: Forget all that crazy talk pre-printed on the machines about fat-burning zones. A calorie is a calorie is a calorie. In a simple sentence that includes a verb, engaging in exercise causes you to burn calories. If you burn them, you aren’t storing them.
» 2. Improves mood: Decreases stress, helps stave off depression, increases self-esteem and happiness, and is relaxing — all to do with brain chemicals.
» 3. Combats chronic diseases: We in the fitness industry have been shouting about this for years, but is anyone listening? Noooooo. Too bad, I’m going to shout it again: Most chronic diseases can be prevented or managed with exercise — hypertension, coronary heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, colon cancer, abnormal cholesterol levels, stroke, arthritis. While we’re at it, you should also quit smoking!
» 4. Boosts energy level: When people say, “I’m doing my cardio,” they are secretly talking about Biology 101. The cardiovascular system is more efficient when it’s all “exercised up.” Go heart! Go blood vessels! While we’re here: Go lungs!
» 5. Promotes better sleep: As long as I don’t exercise right before bedtime, I can improve … zzzzzzzzz, snort.
» 6. Has positive effect on sex life: Women — hello, arousal! Men — goodbye, erectile dysfunction. ‘Nuff said. Shut up and dance.
» 7. Can be fun: OK, most people who live on this planet might wonder about the fun part, but obviously the researchers at the Mayo Clinic are whooping it up!
In the end, all you need is the one benefit that will get you motivated to exercise. Any list, no matter how long or short, will be irrelevant unless it resonates with you. And no, “resonate” is not a type of furniture polish.
Dear readers: If you had to choose one of the benefits from the list above, which one gets you motivated to move?
— Identical twins and fitness pros Kymberly Williams-Evans and Alexandra Williams have been in the fitness industry since the first aerobics studio opened on the European continent. They teach, write, edit, emcee and present their programs worldwide on land, sea and airwaves. They co-write Fun and Fit: Q and A with K and A. You can currently find them in action leading classes in Santa Barbara and Goleta. Kymberly is the former faculty minor adviser at UCSB for its fitness instruction degree offered through the Department of Exercise & Sport Studies; Alexandra serves as an instructor and master teacher for the program. Fun and Fit answers real questions from real people, so please send your comments and questions to info@funandfit.org.