8 Reasons to Start Working Out

Exercise is an essential component of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. It’s also important to start exercising and pushing yourself physically because you can’t really know what opportunities life has in store for you. There are tons of benefits that come from staying healthy through physical activity, and there’s no doubt working out will help motivate you to make positive changes in your life.

The benefits of working out are vast and can be felt by everyone. The most effective way to start is with a short-term goal such as going for a walk or doing pushups every morning before breakfast.

The “how to start exercising again” is a question that many people have been asking. Here are 8 reasons why it’s time to start working out again.

Note from the editor: Nerd Fitness’ Steve Kamb contributed this guest article.

I want you to look back to elementary school dodgeball and recall how much fun it was to run about sweating like a pig for an hour every day and love every minute of it. It was survival of the fittest and quickest; an afternoon of dodging and flinging that red ball could teach you a lot about life. Fast forward 20 years, and you’re working behind a desk selling data-processing software, and an hour of exercise every day suddenly sounds ludicrous.

It’s past time for you to return to your childhood.

Rediscovering a love for exercising entails more than simply raising your heart rate and losing a few pounds. If you really want to be the greatest husband to your wife, the best father to your boys and girls, and ultimately the best man you can be, you must prioritize your physical health.

Let me explain why.

Momentum

Are you aware that Teddy Roosevelt, one of history’s greatest leaders, was a sickly, asthmatic youngster as a child? Teddy Roosevelt’s father was aware of his son’s frailties, as recounted in “Lessons in Manliness from Theodore Roosevelt,” but he was determined not to let his son wallow in them. “Theodore, you have the mind but not the body,” he said to his son, “and without the support of the body, the mind cannot travel as far as it should.” I’ll provide the tools, but it’ll be up to you to create your own body.”

Teddy’s father’s counsel became his life’s plan; he went on to live every day with conviction and passion, continually pushing his body and mind to their limits. As he pushed his body even harder, he felt more at ease pushing his intellect even more. Consider this: do you believe running for President terrified him after battling lions and scaling mountains?

Never underestimate the power of momentum if you want to improve your life and career. By regularly pushing your body to its limitations, your body and mind will learn to cope with more stressful conditions, allowing you to go farther beyond your comfort zone. People who refuse to leave their “comfortable spot” are more likely to settle for mediocrity; those who continually push themselves and take risks are more likely to achieve greatness.

Safety

Two guys were wandering through the woods when they came face to face with a ferocious, hungry-looking bear. A pair of running shoes was hastily put on by one of the males. “You stupid!” shouted the other. You won’t be able to outrun a bear.” “I don’t have to run faster than the bear, I only have to run faster than you!” said the first person.

Almost all conflicts in today’s culture are resolved via mediation, compromise, and attorneys rather than duels, arm wrestling battles, and plain old-fashioned brawls. Survival of the richest, smoothest, or sharpest has supplanted survival of the fittest. Having said that, you never know when you’ll run across a freaking bear in the woods or a thief in your home.

This need for security extends beyond bears, robbers, and bar fights. Wouldn’t it make you feel better if you knew you could take both of your kids out of your home if it caught fire? Wouldn’t it make you feel better if you knew you could swim if you fell out of a canoe? Wouldn’t you be less concerned about being mugged if you know you have the power to protect yourself if you were walking through a dangerous neighborhood?

Every guy should be capable of saving his own life and defending his family. Maintaining a high level of physical fitness can greatly increase your chances of avoiding and surviving a risky circumstance.

Wealth

People frequently consider the expense of a gym membership, exercise equipment, apparel, and maybe the time spent not watching Jersey Shore on MTV when they consider the cost of getting in shape. This financial figure is often much more than what they are prepared to pay (zero), therefore they stay couch potatoes. Who wants to spend money on an unpleasant gym exercise when they can pay nothing and live their lives whatever they want?

Fail.

It’s time to recall your college economics class. You know, the one you didn’t go to on Tuesdays and Thursdays because you were too tired after Dollar Draft Night. That particular class.

Do you have any idea how much a coronary artery bypass procedure costs? $100K. What is the current year’s cost of your diabetic medication? How many days did you miss at work last year due to illness or a trip to the doctor? Sure, you can’t predict whether your client will need surgery or medication 100 percent of the time. You may be able to smoke for the rest of your life and not acquire cancer. Only idiots, however, would put their money on such odds.

You should start considering the future estimated tab of your couch potato existence when evaluating the cost of becoming healthy vs the cost of being unwell. When you consider the price of future medical bills, lost work days, and costly drugs (not to mention the emotional and social costs), a $50 gym membership becomes a steal.

A healthy diet and 30 minutes of vigorous, pleasurable exercise may keep the doctor away, but an apple a day may not. Even if you don’t feel like going to the gym, put on some shoes (or go barefoot if you’re feeling particularly masculine) and go for a run every other day, do some push-ups every other day, and stay off the operating table. When you’re playing Operation!, it’s not nearly as much fun as it seems.

Confidence

I already mentioned how Teddy Roosevelt pushed his body on a regular basis in order to deal with more difficult conditions. Nothing, in my view, is more daunting than attempting to negotiate the immensely intricate realm of love and attraction when it comes to difficult and demanding situations.

I just had a talk with a dear buddy who was telling me about his life before he shed 100 pounds. He told me something I’ll never forget, apart from the normal drawbacks of being overweight: “When you’re overweight, you’re invisible to practically everyone.” Nobody will glance at you or say anything to you. It’s a disaster.”

If you’re single, I’m presuming you expect to meet “that special someone” and finally settle down at some time in your life. This is especially tough if that particular someone refuses to even look at you.

Remember how I spoke before about the concept of momentum? You begin to feel better about yourself as you begin to exercise. The more others notice you, the more motivated you are to workout and feel better. If you’re overweight, you’ll get the “confidence” thing when others ask, “Hey, did you lose weight?” “You look fantastic!”

Don’t believe you’re off the hook if you’re already in a happy, healthy relationship. Just because you’re married doesn’t guarantee your partner approves of your expanding beer belly! Keep yourself in the greatest form of your life to show that you value your relationship. Your wife will be unable to keep her hands off you, your neighbors’ wives will be envious, and you will feel better. Everyone wins…except your children, who will begin to question why they must spend every night at Grandma’s home down the block.

Success

“It’s what’s on the inside that matters,” your mother used to tell you when you were a kid. Regrettably, she was only lying to make you feel better. People who are attractive are more successful in life than those who are not. It’s a scientific fact. Whether you have a job, are searching for one, or were just fired from one, being in shape may make a huge difference in your ability to succeed in the workplace.

Let’s look at two contenders for a job opening. Candidates A and B are both Harvard graduates who are dressed identically and are regarded outstanding candidates for the job. Candidate A is 250 pounds overweight, breathes excessively, and slouches his shoulders, while Candidate B is in excellent form and exudes great confidence.

Unless he forgets to wear deodorant or attempts to hit on the employer’s secretary, Candidate B will receive the job 100 times out of 100.

Dr. Daniel Hamermesh, an economics professor, has shown that beautiful instructors get higher ratings from their pupils, and handsome individuals obtain better employment and earn more money than their less attractive counterparts. Their physicians even pay more attention to them. This is based on the “Halo Effect,” in which people think that when someone has one positive attribute (attractiveness), they also have other desirable qualities. Even while women often complain about being assessed based on their appearance, the impact is more severe in males; unattractive women earn 5% less than handsome women, but ugly men earn 10% less than attractive men. While a woman’s appearance has little effect on her compensation, a man’s beauty leads to more job offers and higher pay.

While there isn’t much you can do to modify your unattractive face short of cosmetic surgery, your physique is something you can manage and can substantially enhance your appearance. If a prospective employer notices you’re strict with your physique, they’ll assume you’ll be disciplined at work as well.

Exercise may be very useful for those of you who already have solid work (which is no longer a guarantee in this economy) for a completely other reason: you will have more energy, concentration, need less sleep, and miss fewer days due to illness. Productivity rises when there is less downtime and sloth. More productivity means more money for the firm, more commission for you, and ultimately a higher-paying job at your organization. Jackpot.

Intelligence

“In order for man to prosper in life, God supplied him with two methods, education and physical exercise,” Plato once wrote. Not one for the soul and one for the body separately, but for the two together. Man may achieve perfection through these two methods.”

Although hundreds of technical improvements have revolutionized our life (automobiles, supermarkets, the Internet, and pizza delivery), our genetics haven’t changed (much) since our hunter-gatherer ancestors. Simply stated, we perform best when we are doing what we were created to do: coordinating our minds and body. Plato understood it, and now we can see it for ourselves.

According to recent research, aerobic exercise boosts brain cell capacity in particular regions by up to 30% after exercise. For a test program, Naperville Central High School in Illinois ordered all pupils to attend obligatory gym instruction every morning. Not unexpectedly, when it came to standardized testing, this specific school annihilated every other school in the vicinity.

Why does it function this this? Your brain cells wake up and become more responsive to outside impulses as you exercise. These cells contain small receptors that activate in increased concentration and efficiency after exercise, implying that you are significantly more likely to remember knowledge learnt after exercise than you would be without it. Check out Dr. John Ratey’s book Spark for additional information on how exercise affects the brain positively.

Mental Well-Being

Becoming in good physical and mental health is one of the most crucial parts of being a great guy. A great guy can defend his family and friends while still handling difficult circumstances with the elegance of a gentleman. If you’re a male who suffers from melancholy, anxiety, or is in a high-stress environment, exercise might be the answer.

Exercising has been demonstrated in studies to help with sadness and anxiety. “It’s looking more and more like the positive stress of exercise prepares cells, structures, and pathways inside the brain to manage stress in other forms,” says Michael Hopkins, a Dartmouth researcher who has been investigating this phenomenon. These stress-tested brain cells don’t succumb to stress, resulting in a calmer mind.

Exercise has also been proven to be equally helpful as antidepressants in treating clinical depression in other research (of course, recent studies have also concluded that even placebos are as effective as anti-depressants, too.) Exercise is also more effective in preventing relapses into depression than antidepressants. There’s a reason marathon runners speak about getting a “runner’s high”: running and other forms of extreme exercise produce endorphins, which act as natural morphine in the brain. It’s lovely.

Exercise has also been shown to boost your chances of avoiding severely debilitating illnesses like Alzheimer’s and other dementia-related ailments, as stated in the previously cited Spark. I don’t know about you, but being sad or anxious irritates me. If given the choice between pumping my body full of medications and disrupting its natural balance, or just jogging a few miles every day (which will provide me with a slew of additional advantages), I’ll choose the latter.

Longevity

Last but not least, we have life, which is the mother (father?) of all reasons why exercise is so important to your manliness.

Despite all of our technological advances and medical discoveries over the last century, 67 percent of Americans are overweight, with half of those classified as obese. Regrettably, it seems like things are just getting worse.

When you’re buried beneath six feet of earth, it’s difficult to be the greatest guy and parent you can be.

It’s time to consider exercise as a 401(k) for your body. You may safeguard yourself from becoming physically (and psychologically) bankrupt as you become older by putting in a little effort today. Even if you’re an older guy, it’s never too late to start over and change your life. Make little daily investments in your health, and you’ll be a prosperous man for years to come in more ways than one.

Who’s on board with me?

If you couldn’t tell, I believe that fitness, success, and manliness are all intertwined. As you include more exercise and healthy living into your daily routine, you’ll notice that many other elements of your life begin to improve as well. Find something that makes you happy and keeps you moving, and make it a habit to do it every day. Your heart, body, and mind will all appreciate it.

Who’s up for a game of dodge ball now?

Listen to Steve’s podcast here:

When he’s not attempting to be a better guy, Steve runs NerdFitness.com, a fitness website geared toward the ordinary Joe. You may subscribe to the Nerd Fitness RSS feed or get email updates from the blog.

The “good workout schedule” is a list of 8 reasons to start working out. The list includes the benefits that come with exercising, how it can benefit you physically, and how it can benefit your mental health.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are 10 reasons to exercise?

A: Ten reasons to exercise are numerous and can vary depending on the individual. However, some of these benefits include better blood flow, increased oxygen levels in the body, reducing risk for heart disease and stroke, improved moods or mental health conditions like depression or anxiety disorders, decreased stress levels which can lead to a more positive outlook on life as well as an increase in self-esteem.

What are 5 reasons to workout?

A: There are quite a few reasons to workout. Some of the top reasons include better mental health, increased self-esteem, reduced risk for chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes, weight loss and more energy in your day-to-day life.

What are the 6 reasons to exercise?

A: The 6 reasons to exercise are,
1. To improve your health
2. To prevent sickness and disease
3. Improve sleep quality
4. Improved mood/increased happiness, awareness of self and others (social interaction)
5. Decrease stress levels for better mental health and stability during challenging times in life -like moving or going through a breakup-and increase resilience to trauma so you can recover faster…particularly important after traumatic events like natural disasters where time is the most precious commodity such as with Hurricane Katrina survivors who have benefited from regular exercise post-disaster…6th reason is because physical activity allows us to build muscles which increases our strength, speed, endurance capacity while decreasing our risk of injury