Want more reasons to exercise?

So while I was going through my book looking at what I was going to post next I came across some more benefits of regular exercise. I had gone looking for these while I was writing my last post, but somewhere along the line I skipped over them.
So here they are:

• Increase muscle strength and muscle mass
• Increase muscle flexibility and joint range of motion (ROM)
• Stronger bones, ligaments and tendons
• Decrease chance of injury
• Enhances posture
• Prevents osteoporosis
• Decreases resting heart rate
• Strengthens heart function
• Decreases blood pressure
• Improves the delivery of oxygen throughout the body
• Increases blood supply to the muscles
• Enlarges the arteries that provide blood to the heart muscle
• Improves immune function
• Aids digestion and elimination
• Promotes lean body mass; burns fat
• Improves mental outlook and self esteem
• Stimulates improves mental function
• Moderate to intense exercise may have an appetite suppressant effect

So there they are.

With exercise we decrease our risk of anxiety and depression which are two of the main reasons we use food for comfort. Exercise is the most under utilised tool we have at our disposal. How do we motivate more people to move their bodies, eat less processed food and experience all of the benefits listed. It isn't easy to motivate yourself to exercise and motivation doesn't just happen. Motivation is something that you, as an individual, need to work on every day!

There are 2 things that I have heard along the way to completing my courses and becoming qualified. I can't remember where, but they are:

• The hardest part of exercise is getting started
• If you don't feel like exercising, do 10 minutes. Chances are you'll keep going. But if after the 10 minutes are up and you still don't feel like it, then stop. I've applied this rule to my own training and I haven't stopped yet.