Exercise provides amazing benefits for our bodies and minds. People who participate in regular exercise, have an up to 50 percent lower risk of type 2 diabetes, up to 35 percent lower risk of coronary heart disease and stroke as well as 20 percent lower risk of breast cancer. Those are some pretty impressive statistics…but there’s more!

Exercise can reduce symptoms of depression, and it can help reverse the effects of stress on us and our aging process.  Studies have also found that regular exercising can help individuals with asthma, as it reduces the airway inflammation.

Additional benefits of exercise include:

• Helps you sleep better

• Increases your immunity

• Helps with your long-term memory

• Ramps up your sex life

• Can help protect against the onset of dementia

• Reduces symptoms of depression

• Increases the length of your life

• Lowers your blood pressure

If these statistics aren’t motivation enough, there is one of my favorite benefits: endorphins. Those feel-good chemicals can make the worst day a little bit better. I also appreciate how my body feels when I am done working out. It feels more flexible, stronger and capable. It’s not always fun to exercise, but the benefits far outweigh my reasons for wanting to skip!

If you are struggling to find the motivation to exercise,  give my alphabet workout a try. Time will fly by quickly, and you will be done before you know it!