Need that extra push to start exercising? We’ve boiled it all down to three major reasons that should convince even the fitness naysayers

We’ve talked plenty about which exercises to use and for what—but why should we actually exercise? Despite what you may think, fitness isn’t just for cosmetic reasons. By now, we should all know that regular exercise produces long-term health benefits like living longer and better. If you need a quick rundown of what these specific total-body benefits are, this list is for you. We’ve boiled down the three major reasons that should convince you or even your naysaying loved one to exercise.

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Get stronger

Exercise improves your overall quality of life—and that’s scientifically proven by years of research. Besides helping you lose weight and tone your body, consistent exercise will also help you become stronger. You may ask, stronger in what sense? For one thing, the constant use of your muscles will improve your physical strength. And having strong muscles and bones will help prevent injuries and will make day-to-day tasks easier to perform since your mobility will be boosted, too.

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That’s not all—exercise can also help ward off diseases. In fact, research links exercise with the prevention of various cancers, such as breast, colon, kidney, and stomach. Experts found that doing triweekly aerobic activity for 30 minutes or biweekly resistance exercise is a major plus in this regard.

Become emotionally healthier

That exercise can help you with your mental health isn’t all talk either. While it’s not the be-all and end-all solution to depression, for example, exercising can still help with managing your psychological distress so that you’ll feel less overwhelmed.

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One 2023 review even reports that physical activity is “highly beneficial for improving symptoms of depression, anxiety, and distress across a wide range of adult populations, including the general population, people with diagnosed mental health disorders, and people with chronic disease.” Even simple aerobic exercises like walking, gardening, and dancing have been proven to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression since the mood-boosting hormones in our brains are ignited.

Gain mental fortitude

Besides becoming more physically and emotionally strong and healthy, exercising also helps to build our mental fortitude. By that, we mean the ability to be strong in the face of adversity in our lives. This doesn’t mean losing our sense of fear of danger or feeling impassive to stressors, but rather having the mental toughness to persevere through struggles.

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In any case, having our cortisol or stress levels reduced and our quality of sleep improved through regular exercise should be enough to help us feel like we can take our day head-on.