Today I went for one of my first runs since Christmas. I had this overwhelming sense of Joy and Happiness while I was running. While running I went through my typical running “Mantra”(see previous blog –Thoughts That Change Your Mood Daily (http://kevinbradyhealth.ca/thoughts-that-change-your-mood/)
I thought that maybe I was overcome with Joy because it had been so long since I had gone for a run. I basically was training every day on the bike trainer leading up to my cycling race in Sardegna in May so I wasn’t running at all. At the Tour D’Sardegna, I tore my Achilles during the race so I could not run at all until last week. Perhaps my overwhelming sense of happiness was due to the endorphins that are released into our system when we exercise. I refer to exercise as the Fountain of Youth and thought I would share with you the other benefits I personally find when I exercise.
Exercise – The Fountain of Youth!
1. Stress Release – I have personally found that one of best stress relievers is exercise. Often in life when I have had a ton of things going on or stressful situations, the best medicine has been exercise.
2. Release of Endorphins- It has been proven that when we exercise, we release Endorphins into our system. Endorphins are the “feel good” hormones that are released into our system that changes our mood and disposition. I always feel better and more positive after I have a good workout.
3. Generation of New Cells- The reason our body ages is that our cells die off as we age. One of the amazing benefits of exercise is that when we exercise we create brand new cells to replace the “old” ones. That is why I refer to exercise as the “Fountain of Youth” as it actually generates new living cells which help us to live longer and healthier.
4. Fat/Calorie Burner – It is no secret that when we excercise we burn fat and calories. One of the great benefits of exercise is that not only do we burn calories when we exercise but do so all day long following a workout. This is one of the reasons I prefer to have my workout in the morning as not only does it set me up for a great day mentally, but also my “fat burning furnace” is burning calories and fat all day long!
5. Oxygenates the System – As you likely know, oxygen is what feeds our system and feeds the growth of new cells. Through exercise, we increase our Oxygen intake and therefore allow new cells to generate. Oxygen provides energy to our system(ATP) which allows new living cells to generate.
6. Extends our Telomeres – I don’t want to get too technical here but thought this was a very important one to include. At the tip of our chromosomes is what is known as a Telomere. Recent research suggests that as we age our Telomeres shrink in size. It has been proven that exercise actually extends the length of our Telomeres which therefore beats our natural aging process and reduces our biological Age. Once again – exercise – the Fountain Of Youth
Yours in Great Health, Kev
