7 Life Changing Benefits of Regular Exercise

Woman stretching before she goes for a run

Benefits of Regular Exercise

You probably already know exercise is good for you. But I don’t think you understand how good for you it really is.

The benefits go far beyond losing weight or looking good in a swimsuit. I want to share with you just a few life changing benefits of regular exercise.

But before I do, let me share just a little about me and my background.

Through out my life I have had a very inconsistent relationship with working out. I’ve never really enjoyed it. I would start a work out routine only to quit a month or two later. And to be honest, whenever I did attempt to work out, I never really gave it my all or pushed myself. I just did the bare minimum, rarely breaking a sweat.

When you have an autoimmune disease, exercise is hard!

You can read more about my struggle with hashimoto’s here.

It’s physically draining. Your muscles and joints ache. You get tired super quickly. It’s really frustrating. I wanted to work out but most days I just couldn’t.

But over the past 6 months things have really changed. After hearing of the amazing healing benefits of intermittent fasting (I’ll be writing more about that soon), I decided to give it a try.

My energy levels increased significantly! So I decided I was going to attempt a new workout routine and give it my all this time. And I’m proud to say that is what I’ve done and it feels amazing.

Let me share with you the different ways regular, consistent, exercise has seriously changed my life.

7 Life Changing Benefits of Regular Exercise

1 | Improved Sleep

I have struggled with sleep pretty much my entire life. I’ve written extensively about sleep on this blog (ie; this post, this post and this post) because it’s been such a huge issue for me. I’m always searching for new ways to improve my sleep. Working out regularly and pushing myself extra hard during my workouts has been a game changer for me!!!

I fall asleep easier. I stay asleep through out the night. And my quality of sleep has improved significantly. I don’t have to rely on natural sleep supplements as often as I used to and I wake up feeling so much more refreshed and rejuvenated.

2 | Reduced Anxiety

Anxiety is another issue I’ve struggled with as far back as I can remember. I believe it’s the cause of the majority of my sleep issues. Ever since I started working out consistently, my anxiety has dramatically reduced. I feel so much calmer and at peace. I feel like I can breath and my mind isn’t racing with a thousand thoughts!

Related: 6 WORKOUT MOTIVATION TIPS TO HELP YOU REACH YOUR FITNESS GOALS

3 | Increased Energy

Intermittent fasting is what gives me the energy to get through my workout but the workout is what gives me the energy to get through my day. I don’t know the science behind it but it’s true.

Starting your day with a good workout is better than a cup of coffee.

Even on days when I’m feeling really tired I’ll force myself to workout, even if it’s only for 20 minutes, and I always feel super energized afterwards!

4 | Improved Mood

My overall mood has improved so much!!! I have struggled with depression and mood swings most of my life. Yes, I know I have a lot of issues….lol.

I don’t think I have ever felt as good as I do now. At least, I can’t remember ever feeling this good. I’m happier, my mood has stabilized. I have more motivation and drive. It’s pretty awesome.

5 | Improved Appearance

And no, I’m not talking about my body (that’s number 6). I’m talking about my skin, my eyes, my face, my overall appearance.

I don’t know if it‘s from sweating out all the yucky toxins from my body or all the excess hgh (human growth hormone) flowing through my body or both. The whites of my eyes are brighter and clearer. My skin is glowing. I have been told I have a more youthful appearance. I love it!!!!

6 | Improved physique

My body is not quite where I want it to be but it’s getting there. I’ve definitely lost fat and gained muscle. I feel so much stronger and healthier.

When I first started working out I could hardly get through my workouts without feeling like I was going to die. Now I power right through them and I’m constantly increasing my weights and my reps. It feels really good!

7 | Improved Relationships

This was a very unexpected benefit. Since beginning my work out routine I have become a much better wife, mom, friend, sister, etc.

Because my mood has improved, because I sleep better, because my anxiety has decreased, I’m a kinder, more patient, thoughtful human being. I’m not as short and quick tempered. I’m happier and more pleasant to be around. I have more energy to give to the people I love the most. And this is the best benefit of all.

Final thoughts About the Benefits of Regular Exercise

Working out has truly changed my life. When you have a chronic illness it can sometimes feel hopeless. Like you have no control. You never know how you’re going to feel day to day. But working out has helped me to see I’m not helpless. There are things I can do to improve my situation.

If you are dealing with chronic illness, I hope this post inspires and motivates you. Because that’s why I wrote it. Not to brag or boast but to help you take your life back.

When I stopped checking the scale everyday and instead started to see how my life was improving in other areas because of exercise that’s what kept me motivated and kept me going. The increased muscle and weight loss was just an extra bonus.

You don’t have to work out every single day or go the gym to experience these benefits. I work out 4-5 days a week for around 30-45 minutes each time. And I do it from home!

My Fitness Plan by Jillian Michaels

My Fitness Plan by Jillian Michaels is an at home work program. With your membership you’ll get access to an infinite variety of fully interactive, customized daily workouts, or you can choose from one of Jillian’s specifically tailored programs. And they have custom meal plans!!!

I love My Fitness plan because:

It’s completely interactive. You can swap out exercises to personalize your workouts. Increase or decrease the intensity at any time and Jillian will respond!
There are over 800 unique exercises that include an HD video to help perfect your form.
You can pick your music and dynamically match the tempo to the pace of your workout.
It has a personal dashboard to track your weight, workouts, calories burned, calories consumed and more. It can be synced with Apple Health, and most bluetooth heart rate monitors.
The meal plans are co-created with professional chefs and registered dietitians.
Each meal plan offers focused guidelines, recipes, menus, shopping lists and even dining out tips.

I love that you can stream the workouts on your phone, iPad, or tv. They have a ton of workouts and programs to choose from.

The programs help so much. I used to follow workout videos on YouTube. But I never knew what to work out and when to work out. The workout programs have all that already figured out for you.

I’m not a huge fan of the gym so this is perfect for me and if you purchase the annual membership it only costs a little over $7 a month. Which is cheaper than a gym membership.

If you’ve been wanting to jump into a workout routine, now’s the time. Today’s the day! Do something today that your future self will thank you for!

You can click here for a free 7 day trial!!

Let me know if you have any questions about the program or about fitness in general. I’d love to chat!

7 Life Changing Benefits of Regular Exercise

Benefits of Regular Exercise

You can read more about my struggle with hashimoto’s here.