When it comes to your physical and mental health, exercise plays a crucial role. For the majority, long working hours and busy home lives can easily get on top of us.
Read on as Jay - a professional athlete and boxing coach - explains some of the benefits of exercise and the importance of staying consistent...
Why is exercise important for everyone?
Throughout my years within the fitness industry as a coach and as an athlete, I have always relied heavily on exercise. Not only does it help to keep me physically fit, but exercise has also helped me stay on top of my mental health.
Exercise is important for us all and has many benefits to the human body. It can reduce your risk of developing certain diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and other serious conditions.
But for me personally, staying fit and active has simply improved my quality of life. In this fast paced, busy environment we now live in, this is so important. For many people, regular exercise has great mental benefits and is used as a way of relieving stress, improving sleep quality, and supporting a positive mindset.
What can you do to find your preferred form of exercise?
One thing that people often tend to struggle with - either initially or at certain points in their fitness journey - is finding what exercises work well for them.
In this situation, the one question I always revert back to and ask myself is ‘what form of exercise or activity do I enjoy most?’. This is a great way of allowing yourself to reset.
Is it group exercise, outdoor exercise, strength training or cardiovascular training that works best for you? Take your time to figure this out. Try different forms of exercise before making a decision on what really suits you best.
How to stay consistent and motivated to exercise?
To really see the benefits of exercise, it is super important to stay consistent. In order to stay consistent, you need to consistently have the motivation to exercise.
So, finding the activity or form of exercise that works best for you is key. If you're doing exercise that you actually enjoy, then staying motivated shouldn’t be an issue.
However, this is easier said than done, especially if you work long hours or generally have a busy day to day lifestyle.
Setting a specific time of day to exercise and making sure you rest and recover are two very important factors to staying consistent and motivated.