Regular readers will know I hate exercise (find out more in the blog link).  It sounds so dull.  I prefer “activity”.

And I DO move my butt for the benefit of health – physical health and mental and emotional health.

I believe that you need to move your butt for overall health and happiness.  And exercising or activity, help hormone balance. Great for us girls.

So what ARE the actual benefits of activity or exercise?

 

Move Your Butt For Weight Management

Activity raises your metabolism. Aerobic activity like walking , jogging, swimming, cycling, dancing help us lose weight.  Especially interval training.

Weight training to build up or maintain muscle is also important.  Muscle is leaner than fat, so we look better.  Muscle also burns more energy that fat.

But you don’t have to become a body-building, Gym Bunny. There are lots of way to build activity into your daily life and some fun ways to start doing more.

Walking (hey what about Pokemon Go and Geocaching?). Gardening. Vigorous house work. Dancing.

You could even use free hand weights doing “step ups” on an exercise step watching your fave soap.

Or join the kids on the trampoline in the garden.

 

Move Your Butt To Spice Up Your (Sex) Life

Did you know that exercise or activity can boost your sex life? Heck, yeah.

Exercise keeps you healthy and gives you more energy.  Healthy and more energetic people tend to have more sexual energy.   Women who stay active, have an active sex life for longer.

Who knew?

Of course, exercise  supports better body confidence. In turn, that could boost your interest in sexy time.

 

Move Your Butt For A Better Brain

You’re reading and wondering how can exercise improve my brain, Kathy? Have you gone bonkers?

No. Physical activity can help your brain.   If you are active,your brain function is less likely to decline as you get older.   Studies have shown it’s the more active you are, not how hard you exercise.

So little and often.

And it can reduce our risk of dementia in our senior years.

 

Move Your Butt for Better Bones

Any impact exercise is good news for bones.  It builds up bone density.

Think aerobic exercises again like walking, dancing or jogging.

Building muscle also helps, so do some weight training.  It builds muscle and bones.

Core strength and flexibility exercises like yoga or tai chi support better bone health, because they too build muscles. They can also help improve balance and coordination.  Maybe that reduces the risk of falls and accidents?

 

Move Your Butt For A Healthy Heart

Get the old ticker pumping with aerobic exercises can lower bad cholesterol and raise the good cholesterol.

Active people are less likely to have high blood pressure, generally and better circulation.   Moving your butt help blood flow and help more toxins out.  Through sweating and the lymph system.

 

Move Your Butt To Beat Menopause Symptoms

Studies show that exercise helps reduce menopausal symptoms as we get to our late 40s and 50s. It helps with hot flushes and the nasty night sweats.

It also help with better body image.  It helps brain function so you might reduce or avoid any brain fog and memory issues.

 

Move Your Butt To Prevent and Alleviate Depression

Activity raises the feel-good chemicals in our brain called endorphins.

These boost our sense of wellbeing and help relieve pain. Yes, really. This can help lift mood and also help keep depression at bay.

 

Move Your Butt To Balance Hormones

Exercise helps balance hormones. FACT.

Do it for this reason, if no other.

It helps regulate your hormones in so many ways – stress hormones, metabolic hormones and more.

 

Move Your Butt To Boost Immunity

Here’s another great reason to build more activity into your days. Regular, moderate exercise raises white blood cells, which help insight infections.

So activity helps boost your immune system.

Begone you coughs and colds!

 

And my final words are these…

Reduce risk of major illness by up to 50% and lower your risk of early death by up to 30%.  Move.  Your. Butt.

 

Love,