When you think of weight training, you might envision guys in skimpy tank tops yelling and slamming plates. Of course this does happen, but a lot of people go to the gym just to be around friends and to improve their mental and physical health.
Aside from merely building the physique, exercise has many other positive benefits to nearly all areas of life such as: lifespan, sleep, self-esteem and ease of everyday tasks.
First and foremost, exercise is known to help increase lifespan. As a result of 13 studies conducted by The National Library of Medicine, “regular physical activity is associated with an increase of life expectancy by 0.4 to 6.9 years.” While seeming like a small difference in the average lifespan of over 70 years, being moderately active can increase one’s life expectancy by over 5%.
The second benefit of exercise is improvements with sleep cycles. Sleep is imperative for overall mental and physical wellbeing. Exercise can help a person get a better night’s rest if approached properly. Working out earlier in the day can make it easier to fall asleep, whereas exercising less than two hours before bedtime can leave me too energized to sleep.
Another research study by the National Library of Medicine proved that, “Physical activity positively impacts sleep quality, wellness, and mood during academic stress periods, influenced by the intensity of activity during the stressful period.” Not only can exercise improve rest, but it can act as a coping mechanism: raising your spirits and lowering your cortisol levels. Personally, when I’m upset or angry, I direct that energy into something productive such as lifting weights. In fact, times like that are when I’ve achieved a few of my own personal records.
The essay, “The Transformative Impact of Exercise on Self-Esteem” reminds us that we may pursue physical activity “not for the goal of aesthetics but in terms of strength, flexibility, coordination, and muscle tone. Body image, how we think about ourselves, and our capacities after exercising will reflect better self-esteem…”
You might be thinking to yourself, “where’s a place I can go to exercise?” My answer to you would be the fitness ASPIRE program here at Helix. Not only is the program free to attend and full of useful equipment to improve yourself with, but it also has a thriving community. The regulars at the ASPIRE gym are friendly and more than willing to help someone inexperienced.
Fitness ASPIRE is open Monday through Thursday in the fitness room here at Helix after school until 5:15 PM. Hope to see you there!
