“Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being, while movement and methodical physical exercise save it and preserve it.” ~Plato
The best part of my day is when I exercise, and the truest thing you can say about the mystery we call a body is that it is designed to work at its optimal level in motion. Even when I am painfully facing my physical limits in my early morning Pilates workout, I thank my lucky stars to be feeling the pain of strengthening my muscles as opposed to feeling my strength wane. It took me a series of long unfortunate back injuries to finally face up to the fact that the only choice I had was to learn how to get strong.
At close to fifty, I am as physically strong as I have ever been. I tell near strangers to feel the abs and oblique muscles that I have so proudly built over the last few years. I never have back pain anymore. I am strong enough at my core to hold my body up pain- free all day. These are triumphs that little else compares to in my life.
One of the best benefits of exercise of any kind is how it gets you out of your head and brings you fully into the present moment. Interestingly, by getting you out of your mind and focusing on your body it also clears your mind so you can think more clearly. Studies have shown that people who exercise are more productive and think more clearly, which is why smart companies are encouraging their employees to get fit.
Better still, movement reduces stress and increases your energy levels. All of the endorphins that are released into the blood when you exercise increase energy levels throughout the day. The irony of people who claim to be too tired to exercise is that all you have to do is start and the energy is a gift that follows you naturally. Even when I am exhausted I always feel better when I get out of bed to exercise than when I sleep a little longer.
Not only that, but exercise keeps you younger and lowers your risk of heart disease, strokes, high blood pressure and the list goes on. The more I do it, the more I want to do it and I know that choosing to fill my life with exercise takes no more time than the illness and weakness that its absence would create. It is a no brainer for a woman on the quest to become more positive- stronger is better than weaker.
