My experience with the benefits of exercise

Happy Thursday!  I wanted to write a quick post on my experience with the benefits of exercise.

There are several reasons why daily exercise is important for you.  I'm sure you heard almost all of them.  But the one I'm going to write about is the mental benefits.  That's right, some of you who do exercise regularly already know this one.  But if you never heard about it, its something you don't want to miss out on.

I was watching a show on PBS (yeah, I know I was acting sophisticated), where the host was speaking about how to keep your brain young.  He mentioned all sorts of games to play, foods to eat, having sex, etc.  But one thing that got my attention was that he mentioned physical exercise (which also included sex LOL).

Now before I go any further, I'm not going to get into any parts about my sex life.  This is about fitness!

The host said that one way to ensure a happy brain was to get regular amounts of exercise.  He also said that it is one of the best anti-depressants.  Now I'm not saying some people don't need those.  I know people who really do need medication.  But for some of us a daily dose of exercise may do the trick. 

The PBS host also mentioned that the side effects of exercise were, getting in better shape, while letting go of stress.  Both of these can lead to more sex (okay, you can see I'm really trying to motivate you to exercise, right?).

Now I told you I would mention my experience, and its really very simple.  Before getting married and having kids, I worked at a very miserable office.  I was left alone there for several hours a day with a girl who was manic.  The atmosphere was quite depressing and also made me angry and stressed out.  I had no friends there, it was just me and the "manic" girl.

So one day I went to yet another lunch by myself and noticed there was a gym close by.  I decided to join, since eating in my car wasn't fun, and there wasn't much shopping around.

Now, I didn't have much time for lunch.  It was a strict hour - no exceptions.  But I got creative with lunch.  My boss was okay with me eating at my desk when I got back from the gym.  I guess he felt sorry for me that I was stuck there all day with the girl who hated me.

After a few days, I noticed that when I got back from lunch I felt great.  I didn't feel miserable anymore.  It felt like a big weight was lifted off of me.  Just a half hour on the treadmill and exercising one muscle group per day did the trick and gave me a more positive attitude.

You don't need to join a gym in order to get the benefits of exercise while at work.  Just bring your sneakers with you and go for a walk outside.  Even if its just 10 minutes.  Get out, clear your head and burn a few calories.  If its too cold, and your office has stairs, try stair climbing.  Go up the stairs one or two at a time and jog back down.  Repeat a few times. 

Have fun and live well!