Want to Improve Your Mood? Get Moving!

There’s no time like the present to improve your overall well-being by getting active. And there’s no other action that you can undertake that has as great an impact on your health and delivers benefits as quickly as exercise. The key is finding an activity that not only keeps you moving, but is something you enjoy as well.

The Benefits of Exercise Are Endless, So What Are You Waiting For?

Starting an exercise regimen is one of the hardest things about exercising, but once you’ve got a routine, you won’t want to miss a workout. To get you motivated, let’s look at a few of the many benefits of exercise:

• Helps reverse the detrimental effects of stress
• Enhances your ability to learn
• Keeps your brain fit, fighting memory loss
• Improves your mood, reducing symptoms of depression
• Helps you fall asleep faster and improves the quality of your sleep
• Increases your chances of living longer
• Decreases the risk of falling in older adults
• Reduces the risk of developing certain cancers like breast and colon cancer
• Reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Also helps improve blood sugar control for those with diabetes
• Reduces loss of bone density

An Object in Motion Tends to Stay in Motion

Whatever your current state of health, it’s important to build some form of physical activity into your daily life. If you have health issues such as heart disease, diabetes, joint problems or are overweight, you should see your health care practitioner before you start any fitness program. Knowing your limits is key to exercising smartly. So is starting slowly so that you can maintain a routine without burning out or injuring yourself.

Any comprehensive fitness plan should be tailored to your current health and should include some form aerobic activity, stretching, and resistance training. Since proper technique is important to avoiding injury and getting the maximal benefit out of the exercise, it’s a good idea to work with a professional trainer or a physical therapist at first.

Track Your Progress With a Fitness App

There are numerous apps available to help you track your progress and challenge your current workout. Here are just a few apps to spice up your routine:

• Moves: iPhone App which logs the time you spend walking, running or cycling.
• Couch to 5K: Smartphone App for the novice runner
• Runkeeper: Smartphone App for avid runners
• Fitbit: Smartphone App which tracks your every step as well as calories burned and your sleep patterns

Smarter Fitness Through Genetics

Genetic screening tests like PathwayFit are available to help you better understand how your metabolism and response to exercise so that you can work out smartly and achieve optimal performance. Identifying your nutritional deficiencies aids you and your healthcare practitioner in developing a custom-made nutrition and fitness plan.

No matter what type of exercise you choose, making time for it may mean saying “no” to some things, but the rewards of doing so will be well worth it! Be sure to consult your healthcare practitioner before starting an exercise program or before making changes to your current treatment plan. For more information, please contact us today and unlock your potential for a healthy lifestyle.

The contents of this blog are intended for educational purposes only. The information presented here is not a substitute for proper medical attention, diagnosis, or treatment by a qualified healthcare professional. Always seek the advice of your healthcare provider before starting or making any changes to an existing treatment plan, exercise program or dietary regimen, and before using nutritional supplements.