We’ve all heard that exercise is important for our health and wellbeing, but there are many benefits outside of just maintaining a healthy weight and looking fit. Especially now, we must be taking time out of each day to get up and move. No, you don’t have to join the gym to get the exercise you need for a healthy mind, body, and spirit. Need a little motivational boost to get yourself moving? Here are some amazing benefits of regular exercise:

Boost Your Mood

Feeling a little down these days? If you are experiencing symptoms of anxiety or depression, you’ll be happy to know that regular exercise can help to reduce stress and improve your mood. That’s because exercising releases endorphins, which are chemicals that help us feel more positive.

You don’t have to tackle an intense workout to reap the mood benefits, either. Studies have shown mood-boosting benefits during all forms of exercise, even low-impact activities such as walking.

Reduce Health Risks

Whether you’re at risk for heart disease, diabetes, or high cholesterol, it’s good to know that something as simple as incorporating regular exercise into your routine every day could have a profound impact on your health and greatly reduce your risk. To reap these benefits, adults need to get a minimum of 150 minutes of moderately intense exercise a week to reduce their risk for heart disease, diabetes, and high cholesterol.

Enhance Focus and Concentration

Exercise is great for your brain and not just for its mood-enhancing properties. In fact, some studies suggest that regular exercise could prevent Alzheimer’s disease. Exercises improve blood flow to the brain, which helps to develop new brain cells and may even help you feel more focused. If you’re struggling with brain fog and focus while sitting at your desk, incorporating even 30 minutes of exercise into your daily routine could help shake those mental cobwebs.

Improve Your Energy

It seems that more and more people are turning to their doctors because they just don’t have the same get-up and go that they used to. If you don’t have the energy you used to, or if you feel tired more easily, you may be surprised to discover that exercise can actually improve your energy. How is this possible? First, the endorphins coursing through your body certainly have something to do with it. Second, the body produces more mitochondria when you’re active, which helps provide the body with the energy and fuel it needs.

If you’re just not sure exactly where to begin when it comes to exercising, your general medicine practitioner is the perfect medical professional to ask. They can provide you with tips, guidelines, and recommendations to make sure that you are getting the exercise you need that is also safe and most effective for you and your health needs.