6 Benefits Of Exercise That Have Nothing To Do With Looking Fit

lack of exercise is the cause of several chronic diseasesinforms the National Library of Medicine, including some that are the leading causes of death in the black community, such as type 2 diabetes, stroke, and heart disease. Although exercise can prolong life, Americans don’t get enough of it. In fact, a survey conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Gympass found that nearly half of respondents say they’re too busy to exercise. Ironically, nearly 80 percent also said they feel happier when following an exercise routine.

All of this is to say that there is a very good reason why we celebrate National Exercise Day, a day dedicated to focusing on physical and mental health. But it’s no secret that many fitness-related messages may have to do with body image. And in a society that is trying to move away from fixating on body image, exercise needs a rebrand. That’s why MADAM lists several benefits of exercise that have nothing to do with how you look.

Add structure to your day

If you have a hard time developing a daily routine, exercise can help with that. Knowing that you go to the gym or go for a run at a certain time every day encourages you to do more planning, identifying spaces of time around your exercise routine to perform other tasks. Rutgers and Ohio State University professors looked at the habits of healthy people and found that those who have a routine schedule are happier. So, because working out puts a routine into your day, you might feel happier about it.

gain self-discipline

Exercise is an easy way to practice a habit associated with success: doing something you don’t feel like doing. This is also known as self-discipline. Repeatedly doing something that brings you closer to your goals, even when you don’t feel like it. strengthen your brain and puts you in that “no excuses” mindset. In fact, research from the National Library of Medicine found that people experience a greater overall sense of control, competence, and self-esteem after exercise. If you can run those five miles when you don’t feel like it, there are no limits to what you can do.

Socialize

Depending on the type of exercise you do, working out can be social. You can join a fitness class and make friends with the other attendees, have coffee and hang out afterwards. Or you can just join a gym and meet the other members and staff. This can be especially helpful for those who work from home and don’t interact much with their profession because socializing is important for mental health.

sponsor a small business

You can use your training as a way to sponsor a small business or entrepreneur. Buy a membership to a black-owned gym or boxing studio in your city (we name a few we love here). Know a personal trainer who is building her client list and could use a little help? Hire them for a few sessions. Get your workout gear or wardrobe from a small business. If spending your money at local businesses is important to you, the fitness industry is full of them.

Get a nice wardrobe to work out

Nobody can blame you for loving the opportunity to do some shopping. Maybe for you, if the wardrobe is cute, you’ll do the damn thing. A great office wardrobe excites you for a new job. A great workout wardrobe could get you excited about hitting the gym. Plus, some of today’s sportswear is so cute you’ll want to wear it while running errands around town. (We’ve included a list of Black-owned sportswear brands we love. here).

feel happier

Research from the National Library of Medicine shows that even short bouts of exercise increase levels of serotonin and endorphins in the brain, helping you feel happier. Forget feeling happier because your dress size goes down or the number on the scale goes down. You don’t even need to wait for those results to feel encouraged. The simple act of exercising makes you feel happier right away. It’s just science.