If you are only exercising to lose weight, you may find it hard to stick to your goal. It can take a few weeks or months to see changes in your outward appearance; thankfully, there are numerous ways exercise improves your health from the inside out. Some exercise benefits are immediate, which can give you that extra push when you want to quit.
"It can be difficult to stick with your resolution if you're only looking for results in the mirror," says Sharrell Porter, M.S. ACSM EP-C, an exercise physiologist at Piedmont Atlanta Fitness Center.
She recommends focusing on a health-related goal, like lowering blood pressure, reducing stress or sleeping better.
"I have people come in for a training session and they don't want to exercise," says Porter. "However, by the end of their session, they feel better and are ready to tackle more in their day. I also get texts from clients who say exercise helped them sleep better that night, even if they normally struggle with insomnia or other sleep issues."
Besides weight loss, exercise can change your life in numerous positive ways. Remember this list next time you are discouraged.
Research shows regular workouts can:
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Boost your mood
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Build agility
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Decrease your future healthcare costs
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Decrease your risk of metabolic syndrome
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Delay onset of dementia
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Give you more confidence
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Help you sleep better
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Improve creativity
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Improve fertility
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Improve your posture
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Improve your skin
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Increase your energy
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Increase your flexibility and range of motion
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Lengthen your life
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Lower your risk of injury
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Make your DNA younger
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Protect your heart
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Reduce back pain
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Reduce chronic pain
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Reduce stress
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Relieve PMS symptoms
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Slow cognitive decline
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Strengthen your bones
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Strengthen your joints
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Support your eye health
Celebrate exercise results
While outward physical changes may not be apparent right away, if you are exercising regularly, eating healthy foods and sticking with reasonable portions, you should notice a difference within a month or so.
"You might not see a change, but others will start noticing," she says. "Just because you aren't focusing on your appearance at first doesn't mean your appearance won't change."
Need to make an appointment with a Piedmont physician? Save time, book online.