10 Reasons to Exercise

Regular exercise gives you so many amazing benefits, but let's face it, some days you may get too busy, too stressed and simply too tired to fit exercise in your day.

Here's a list of my top 10 reasons to exercise. Pull out this list and read it when you're having one of those days.

1. To Prevent Disease
Exercise has been proven to reduce the risk of just about every single health problem known to man, from Stroke to Heart Disease to Cancer and Osteoporosis. Exercise is also a great defense against Type 2 Diabetes, which is one of the most widely growing diseases in the United States today.

2. To Look Great
Exercise firms your body, improves posture and even makes your skin glow. Looking your best is a wonderful result of regular exercise.

3. To Lose Weight and Keep It Off
Exercise burns fat and prevents future fat storage. If you want to have a thinner, healthier body, exercise is the answer.

4. To Have More Energy
Anyone who exercises regularly will tell you that they are more energetic, less easily upset and are more peaceful.

5. To Sleep Better
Exercise boosts energy levels, but also wears you out. It makes you feel more alive during the day and sleep like a baby at night.

6. To Age Slower
Exercise is one of the most effective ways to fight aging. When you age your body loses muscle and bone, the loss of both is drastically reduced with regular exercise. Exercise also helps reduce inflammation.

7. To Ease Depression
Exercise has been proven to reduce depression – sometimes even as effectively as prescription drugs. Just chalk this up as yet another amazing benefit to exercise.

8. To Stay Mentally Sharp
Not only is exercise smart for your heart and weight, but it can make you smarter and better at what you do. Exercise has been shown to improve memory and other cognitive functions, and seems to have a protective effect against Dementia. John J. Ratey, MD, an associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and author of A User's Guide to the Brain says "exercise is really for the brain, not the body. It affects mood, vitality, alertness, and feelings of well-being."

9. To Reduce Sick Days
People who exercise regularly are 50% less likely to call in sick to work. A regular exercise program reduces colds and upper respiratory infections.

10. To Boost Confidence
Being fit, feeling healthy and having energy are all building blocks to having great confidence. There is no better confidence booster than sticking with a regular exercise program.