Wellness Wednesday: Why Exercise?

In the winter in Wisconsin some days it seems like a struggle to just get out of bed. It’s dark and cold. Hitting snooze and rolling over to catch an extra hour of warm, snuggly sleep seems much more appealing than getting up and heading to the gym.

These are the days when you really have to have some good motivation saved up and ready to pull out of your back pocket. The thought of looking great in your skinny jeans can only get you so far when you’re facing snowy roads and sub-zero temperatures.

Here are a few other things to add to your arsenal of motivation:

According to Professor David C. Nieman of Appalachian State University, regular exercise can lessen the duration and severity of colds by boosting the body’s immune system.

The American College of Sports Medicine has conducted studies that show that exercise:

• Can be as effective as Prozac or therapy at reducing depression
• Reduces the incidence if high blood pressure by as much as 40%
• Lowers your risk of stroke by 27%
• Can reduce the risk of recurrent breast cancer by 50%
• Reduces the incidence of diabetes by about 50%
• Can reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s by 40%
• Can reduce the risk of colon cancer by over 60%

I don’t know about you, but that is pretty good added motivation for me! So don’t just sit there…turn off the computer and go for a walk, hit the gym, play an active Wii game with your kids. The benefits are worth it.