Sure, it can reduce your dress size but there's plenty of other reasons to get to the gym.
Size six. Size six. Size six.
For many women, that is the sole mantra they use to motivate themselves to exercise. While a smaller dress size is certainly a great reason to hit the gym more often, it's not the only perk to working out. Getting regular exercise? Cardiovascular activity, plus strength-training and a bit of flexibility work can give you a boost in lots of other little ways, too.
"If women realized how many different ways their appearance and their mood improve when they work out, they could save a lot of money on beauty creams and therapy in the long run," says New York City personal trainer Phil Cruse, founder of Cruse Control Fitness and fitness guru to celebs like Laurence Fishburne, Jennifer Connelly and Josh Charles. So if you're in need of a little inspiration to kill the couch potato within, here are just five often overlooked advantages to getting in gear.
ONE: Sleep Tight
You'll never have to hit the Nytol again. A fit body falls asleep faster. Explains Cruse: "When you exercise, your metabolism becomes more efficient. So your body can make the downgrade from awake to asleep more efficiently as well." While other sleeping aids from medications to red wine to eating a big meal may bring on the zzz's too, they also disrupt your metabolism in the middle of the night, which can often result in a more restless sleep. "And besides," says Cruse, "why put something in your body to make you fall asleep when you can get your body to do that on its own, without the extra calories?"
TWO: Rise and Shine!
You'll never have to hit the snooze button again, either. Just as an efficient metabolism allows you to fall asleep faster, your body will be ready to go more easily in the mornings after waking up. Regular exercise improves the quality of your sleep so even if you get a little less than you're used to, you'll still feel more refreshed when you wake.
THREE: Glowing Skin
You can skip the face peels and almond scrubs. Skin needs two basic fuels to keep it looking and feeling its best: oxygen and water. What is exercise if not extended periods of heavy breathing? And what is breathing if not the replenishment of fresh oxygen to your body? When you increase your heart rate, your blood is pumped through your circulatory system more quickly, and blood cells are what bring oxygen to your skin. All this not only improves your complexion by clearing up acne; it can benefit the skin on all parts of your body. "A lot of my clients have told me their skin, particularly on their shoulders and upper arms, feels a lot smoother after they've done a few weeks of weight-lifting," Cruse says. "I think that's because they're cutting down on the amount of fatty tissue in that area while increasing their muscle mass, so the skin is literally being stretched a little tighter, which makes it feel more supple." Just make sure you up your water intake when you work out to make up for the fluids you sweat out of your
system.
FOUR: Focus and Balance
Your computer screen will look a little less blurry, and you will never accidentally teeter off a balcony. If your workout regime includes a lot of turning and spinning like in ballet or kickboxing, or if you play sports like tennis or squash which require concentrating on a small, moving object, you'll improve your eyes' abilities to focus. Even many hatha yoga regimes also incorporate optic exercises to release eye strain. You can even do these on your own: simply rotate your eyes in a slow, exaggerated, around-the-clock motion a few times, then rotate in the opposite direction. "When you're twisting about," says Cruse,
"practice picking points about 6 to 12 feet in front of you and fixing your eyes on them each time you turn that way. This will also improve your sense of balance. Balance is mostly visualization and more a mental ability than a physical one," says Cruse. "If you can get your eyes to lock into a focal point, your body will follow."
FIVE: Stay Cool!
You will never look like the woman who foolishly used Deodorant Brand X in the anti-perspirant commercials. People who exercise regularly have a slower resting heart rate than those who don't. Therefore, they can manage day-to-day tasks like climbing a couple flights of stairs without feeling out of breath or breaking into a sweat. Explains Cruse, "If you work out, that's when your body will rid itself of toxins and sweat out all the bad stuff. Your body just won't need to sweat as much when it's
in a more restful state, and it will take more than just a flight of stairs to get your body worked up. After doing 30 minutes of boxing
three times a week, a flight of stairs is going to be like a joke to your body."
These are only 5 good reasons to work out but there are even more, including an improvement in mood thanks to the seratonin boost and simply, the self-esteem and satisfaction of following a disciplined action plan and seeing the results in your life. It pays to invest your time and energy in a regular exercise program. Not only will you look smashing in that Size 6, you'll get a lot more benefits that will keep you looking and feeling fabulous inside and out, for life.