Benefits Of Exercise And Physical Activity During Holidays

I hope you had a great Christmas (or whichever holiday you choose to celebrate), and that you spent it with family and friends, having a fun time. It’s almost the new year and most people are still in holiday mode. You are likely still stuffed from the turkey and stuffing at your holiday dinner(s), and “working out” is probably low on your priority list right now.

In a few days, as New Year’s Resolutions kick in, your perspective may change (Improved fitness is near the top of most resolution lists). If that’s the case, I encourage you to ask WHY? Why does your exercise prioritization change so much throughout the year?

Perhaps it’s because you aren’t aware (or forgot) about the amazing benefits that physical activity can have on your body. Here are some thoughts to consider…along with a long (but not exhaustive) list of the benefits of exercise and physical activity, especially during the holidays.

Benefits of exercise and physical activity during holidays

In the health, fitness, and weight loss industry, we hear a lot about “quick fixes”, and “magic pills”. It’s particularly prevalent during the holidays. Every day there is some new pill, powder, potion, or program designed to help us get fit, lose weight, feel great, or live a better life.

However, most people forget that the mythical “magic pill” already exists. It produces amazing changes in health, fitness, and weight loss, makes you feel great, and improves performance in every area of life.

Even better, it’s FREE. It just doesn’t come in a pill, powder, or potion. It’s called MOVEMENT…and its cousin is called EXERCISE.

When we look at it logically, if the benefits of movement and exercise came in pill form, it would be the most popular drug in history.

Here is a short summary of some of the main benefits of physical activity and exercise on your health:

• Helps manage/reduce the risk of

  • Manage Weight

  • Cardiovascular disease

  • LDL (bad cholesterol)

  • Stroke

  • Heart attack

  • Diabetes

  • Many types of cancer

  • Back pain

  • Urge to smoke

  • Anxiety

  • ADD/Hyperactivity

  • Dying of all causes

• Increases/Improves

  • Energy

  • Motivation

  • Confidence

  • Self-esteem/self-image

  • Positivity and moods

  • Stress management

  • Productivity

  • Mental health

  • Overall health

  • Bone density

  • Muscle strength

  • Lung function

  • Blood flow and circulation

  • HDL (Good cholesterol)

  • Independence and daily functioning

  • Improve sex and sexual function

  • Sleep better

  • Live expectancy (live longer)

After 25 years in this industry, it still amazes me how much positive benefit can come from moving your body (properly) on a daily basis, and working up a sweat a few times per week.

How to achieve these health benefits from regular exercise and physical activity

Naturally, people who struggle to achieve these things in life are drawn to the marketing and hype of quick-fix products and promotions. They believe that doing it properly takes too much time, effort, knowledge, money, and motivation. It’s the foundation of a diet and weight loss industry valued in the 100’s of billions of dollars every year.

In reality, achieving these results is simple, relatively fast, costs nothing, and can be done anywhere. Plus, the return on your investment of time and energy is off-the-charts amazing.

The simple plan is to establish a daily dose of movement and healthy habits, combined with a few extra doses of exercise (movement above your baseline of activity) each week. That’s it. It doesn’t need to be more complicated than that.

Coaching

Sure, there are many things you can do within each of these areas to maximize your success, but the concept is pretty simple. You don’t need a gym membership, fancy equipment, hours of time each day, or superhuman motivation. The only thing I recommend people get is some professional instruction to learn how to move well.

Want to learn a better approach to fitness, fat loss, and living a fabulous life? Just book your FREE Success Coaching Session with FRESH! team.

While this may require a financial investment, at the basic level, this can be found for free online…as long as you are following and watching the right people, and getting information that suits your needs (i.e. someone new to exercise shouldn’t be following the program of a world-class powerlifter, elite fitness model, or unqualified celebrity).

This is a key reason I write these posts and share knowledge. My core purpose is to help people experience how amazing life is when you are healthy, happy, and fit. I cannot emphasize this impact enough.

The impact of regular, properly performed movement and exercise on your body, mind, and spirit is undeniable. It has ripple effects in every area of life, and even positively impacts the people around you.

Yes…the benefits of health and happiness are positively infectious.

There have even been longitudinal research studies done that show the social and community impact of groups of people on the health of people within that group. As the saying goes, “You are the sum of the 5 people you spend the most time with.” Your friends and family can make you fit or fat. Choose wisely!

To achieve the benefits of physical activity and exercise, first learn to move well

My goal in writing this post was to stimulate some thought in your mind about how much movement and exercise can lead to benefits in all areas of your life, including at work, home, health, and overall performance.

To maximize the benefits, learn to move well. Then do it daily. A few times per week, dial up the intensity above your typical baseline.

In the Movement Foundations workshop, you will learn how to perform foundational movements correctly to maximize the benefits of your workouts and daily activities.

The best way I’ve found to begin implementing this movement habit is to start with micro-mobility breaks (10-60 seconds) at regular intervals throughout the day (3-5 times).

This will boost your moods, motivation, and energy, making it more likely that you will have the mindset needed to choose to take the next steps in volume, intensity, and expansion to other areas of life. Plus, you will spend less time injured, sore, miserable, and frustrated by aches and pains. That alone should be worth the time!

Every journey starts with a single step, so STAND UP now, and take 1 minute to MOVE your body.

• Start at the head/neck

• Move every joint through a full range of motion

• Think about where you are tight, sore, restricted, and where you should spend more time (hint…it’s not the easy parts). 🙂

Post your comments. I would love to hear your thoughts, and how the movement has positively impacted your life.

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