The Physical Benefits of Exercise

The physical benefits of exercise are so numerous and seemingly obvious that we risk boring you by covering them. Our emphasis in this module is on the many benefits of exercise beyond physical health; however, physical health is such an important aspect of a person’s overall quality of life that it bears emphasizing. For starters, this engaging video by Dr. Mike Evans is a good foundation for understanding the importance of this topic:

To highlight:

• The best preventative medicine that makes the biggest difference to your health is exercise.
• Low fitness, or ‘sitting disease’ is the strongest predictor of death.
• Just ½ hour of exercise per day, mostly walking, greatly reduces the risks of arthritis, dementia and Alzheimers, diabetes, hip fractures, anxiety, depression, fatigue, and the negative consequences of obesity, and improves overall quality of life.

So, yes, there are all kinds of great health outcomes that go with regular exercise, but this probably isn't news to you. You are probably already convinced that you should exercise regularly, but if you don't, can we explore why that's the case? No guilt tripping here; just an opportunity for self-discovery. Be honest with yourself now: When you do exercise, what are your primary motivations? Is it something like: "I don't want to be fat" or "I want my body to look good"? No shaming from us if this is true for you, but if exercise isn't a regular part of your life, would you be willing to experiment with some alternative motivations? In the sections that follow, we'd like to convince you that exercising is just as important for your brain (including your mood and emotional well-being) as it is for your body. What if you exercised not to look a certain way, but because it made you better at living your life? And if a better body followed as a happy side effect, you'd take that too, right? This module will help you learn why exercise is one of the most effective strategies available to boost your happiness and overall well-being, and how you can make it an enjoyable lifelong habit.