As the end of January nears, many people may still be going strong on their New Years resolutions — while others may already be close to giving up.
One of the most common resolutions is to lose weight, and while diet plays a large role in that, exercise is the other half of the equation.
Though weight loss may be one of the main reasons people start an exercise routine, research has shown that those who focus only on trimming down tend to be less likely to stick to it.
A better way to stay motivated is to pay attention to how exercise impacts your overall health and quality of life from day to day.
"The health benefits are tremendous … It's all about getting healthy — losing weight in the process is a bonus," said Sylvia Shaw, a personal trainer who leads wellness and exercise classes for Marilyn Jones-Bryant Ministries, Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church and Shiloh Seventh-Day Adventist Church.
Shaw said her motto is that "God gave us this body perfect when we were born, and we should at least give it back in half-way decent condition."
John Cook, rehab director at the Greenwood Leflore Hospital Wellness Center, said even though a lot of people start coming to the gym to lose weight — especially around this time of year — many of them keep coming because they begin reaping the other benefits of working out.
"You just feel better. Your posture's better, and you have more energy in general," Cook explained.
Most people already know that, in the long run, an active lifestyle will help to prevent conditions such as diabetes and heart disease, but for those who seek instant gratification, there are many benefits to exercise that will be noticed in just a few days or weeks, if not immediately.
Of course dropping a few pounds might make you feel better about yourself, but studies have shown that regular exercise helps to improve body image, even in people who have not lost any weight.
"It does benefit self-esteem and a person's well-being in general as far as perceiving themselves," Cook said.
Forrest Hodge, who works out about five days a week at Advanced Fitness and Rehab, said he started running last year — not to lose weight, but simply to kick that "blah" feeling.
"My self-esteem improved. I feel better about myself," he said, adding that the positive feeling it gives him has helped to keep him motivated.
Cook said exercise is some of the best preventative medicine a body can have because it flushes out toxins and improves the functioning of all organs, not just muscles.
"It makes everything stronger," Cook said.
Various studies have shown that exercise can help fight off colds, provide pain relief from arthritis and other body aches and even improve the health of your teeth and gums.
But be careful not to overdo it. Over-exercising — engaging in more than 90 minutes of strenuous exercise daily — can actually reduce the body's immunity.
Getting enough rest at night is a common problem, especially for older people whose sleep patterns may change as they age.
Being more active during the day will help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep at night — even more so than a long, stressful day of work, which can often produce the opposite effect.
"When you exercise, you sleep better at night, and you're able to cope with stress better," Shaw said.
Though some people report that working out in the evening keeps them awake, most people are fine with a little light to moderate activity after work.
"I sleep better. I like the tiredness it gives me," Hodge said.
While many people use the excuse that they just don't have the time to exercise, working out can actually give you the energy and focus to get more done in your day.
Hodge, who juggles college courses and a job, said working out has allowed him to get through his day with more energy — and without coffee.
"I can tell a difference … It's really helped me in class because I tend to wake up more refreshed in the morning," he said.
Shirley McClung, who said she has remained pretty active throughout her life in an effort to stay healthy, said exercising gives her that boost she needs to finish her day.
"I have more energy when I get home. It gives you energy," McClung said.
- Get happier and healthier
Many people talk about endorphins when they talk about exercising. These are feel-good chemicals released in the brain that reduce pain and can lead to a sense a euphoria — a natural high.
This means that regular exercise will not only make you feel good physically, it can also help you psychologically.
Cook said he's seen this in the faces of many people who begin working out at the wellness center.
"You can see when people start feeling better. That's the point you want to get to," he said.
Hodge said he definitely noticed a positive change in his mental state after he started running and working out regularly.
"It's helped my depression a lot. My mood's lifted remarkably," Hodge said.
McClung, who tries to work out at least four days a week at the GLH Wellness Center or on her treadmill at home, said the good feelings exercise gives you can make it an addictive habit — in a good way.
"When I don't do it, it's like I’m missing something," she said.
