Form a Habit, Change Your Life.
Improving your life expectancy can easily be done with a commitment to daily exercise. I know, daily seems like a lot; but considering that habits are best formed through consistent repetition, you see that daily rehearsal secures success. Most of us have been there; two weeks into an every other day workout schedule, we feel the urge to slack off. In this situation, skipping just one day can lead to a four day reprieve that ultimately decreases motivation, and increases chances of failure.
But consider if you had exercised everyday. By the second week you would have already began to form a habit, and the likelihood of failure would greatly diminish. Significant health benefits of exercise are best obtained through persistence.
Fifteen Minutes to a Lengthier You.
A recent study has found that even small amounts of exercise can produce big benefits. However, performing these exercises day after day, year after year is key; rather than going through periods of intense exercise, followed by periods of no exercise.
This study reports that just 15 minutes of daily physical activity, is enough to provide a slight increase in health status. The studies findings state that even this small amount can lessen the risk of death by as much as 14%, the risk of cancer by 10% and, can add three years to your life. It also proved that increases as high as 4%, can be accomplished for every fifteen minutes of exercise thereafter.
So, What Kind of Exercises Can Help Me Obtain These Benefits?
Remember, daily physical activity doesn’t mean hitting the gym everyday. Exercise regimens involving moderate activities such as yoga, low-impact aerobics, squats, free weights, resistance band workouts, and simple stretching can also successfully produce significant results. For example, you could briskly walk a couple blocks and back (about 8 minutes), and then end with 7 minutes of yoga on one day; switching it up the next with 8 minutes of free weights, and 7 minutes of stretching. Searching online can be a great way to discover low-impact exercises for your daily routine.
Increased Life Expectancy is Only Part of the Package.
Exercise not only improves health and longevity; but it boosts energy, helps to maintain a pleasant mood, and is most beneficial in controlling body weight. It seems that exercise ranks right up there with laughter, as some of nature’s best medicine.
