When you think about exercising, the words “fun” and “love” may not be the first to come to mind. However, there are plenty of reasons why they should. Next to not smoking and eating healthy, there are few things that are as beneficial for your body and health as exercising.

Exercise Helps Regulate Weight

One of the most obvious benefits of exercise is that it will help you lose and/or maintain weight. As an added bonus, this then means that you can also eat more without feeling guilty. The more intense your workout is, the more calories you burn; however, even moderate exercise is beneficial for losing weight. If you can’t find the time to go the gym or for a run, even little things such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator can help burn calories.

Exercise Improves Your Mood

Not only can exercise be fun while doing it, but it will also make you feel better afterward. Exercise has been shown to be able to improve your mood, boost your energy levels, help you sleep better, reduce stress levels and the risks of anxiety and depression, and improve your sex drive.

Exercise Improves Your Health and Wellbeing

The benefits of exercise on your health are too many to count. For example, some studies have shown that exercise is associated with up to a 50 percent lower risk of type 2 diabetes, 35 percent lower risk of coronary heart disease and stroke, and lower risks of certain cancers, such as colon and breast cancer.

In terms of the benefits on your muscles, bone and joints, research has suggested that regular exercise is associated with almost a 70 percent reduced risk of hip fractures, a more than 80 percent reduction in the risk of osteoarthritis, and for older adults, a substantially lower risk of falling. As a consequence, exercise can also help avoid the causes and reduce the levels of chronic pain, including hip pain, knee pain and shoulder pain.

In addition to improving your quality of life, exercise can actually prolong your life span, especially if you keep exercising throughout middle age and older adulthood. In fact, some studies have reported that it may reduce the risk of early death by as much as 30 percent!

Exercise Can Be Fun

Believe it or not, exercise can actually be fun. If you don’t particularly enjoy running or weight lifting, there are plenty of other options, including various individual or team sports you can try as well as exercise classes or even dancing. It’s all about finding the activity that is right for you that you will enjoy for many years to come.