7 Amazing Reasons to Work Out That Have Nothing to Do with Looks or Aesthetics
Working out has amazing benefits, many of which have nothing to do with looks or appearances! Yes, there are ways to work out that will give you glutes, abs, or a certain look, working out benefits go past aesthetics. The mental, physical, and emotional benefits outweigh the benefits of appearance greatly.
While there’s nothing wrong with wanting to appear a certain way, whether it’s thicker thighs or abs, but there are important reasons to work out that have nothing to do with appearances. In fact, when you work out with a body goal, this might lead to body dysmorphia, problems with eating, and an unhealthy dependence on the number on the scale.
Your body is not a fashion trend.
Here are the 7 amazing reasons to work out that have nothing to do with your looks!
Top Reasons to Workout
Check out these benefits to working out that have nothing to do with looks today! Even a daily walk session can provide these amazing benefits.
Increases Creativity
Many studies have linked physical exercise to an increase in imagination and creativity. It found that people who worked out regularly showed more innovation during tests.
Creativity is difficult to quantify, as it is an abstract subject, but originality, an aspect of creativity, also improves with regular exercise. In an experiment where one group was sitting, while the other walked on a treadmill, the group with light activity thought of more ideas and innovation than the group that was seated.
One last study, trying to find if the link between exercise and creativity pertained to mood, tracked 79 adults in their activity. While more exercise correlated to better mood, levels of happiness did not improve creativity. The active group was found to be more creative regardless of happiness level than the sedentary individuals.
Improves Concentration
Lack of concentration may come from an overactive mind, a post lunch meal, or even just waking up on the wrong side of the bed.
Good, concrete concentration can help improve productivity and allow us to focus on tasks that are meaningful to us. Research shows that exercise can improve concentration greatly, though most studies are conducted in younger individuals. There’s a clear link between achievement in school, concentration, and physical activity.
Studies have found that an increase in physical activity leads to more concentration, memorization, and academic achievement.
Though less, current studies also support an increase in concentration due to exercise in adults as well.
Why does working out boost focus? We.., don’t know yet. Some theories suggest enhanced mood and increased brain health may be the cause.
Keeps the Brain Healthy
Exercise changes the brain in amazingly beneficial ways. The mere act of physical activity can increase oxygenation, blood flow, and deliver more nutrients to the brain.
Some studies even suggest that it promotes new, healthy brain cells, improving higher thinking and cognition. Another study found that individuals that worked out had a bigger hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, the former being the part of the brain responsible for memory and the latter responsible for cognitive thinking respectively. This can lower your risk for neurodegenerative diseases like dementia or Alzheimer’s.
Even mental health can be improved with a workout, as studies have found that feel good chemicals increase, reducing anxiety and depression.
Strengthens the Heart
It’s no surprise that working out can benefit the heart.
Workouts can lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of diabetes, reduce inflammation in the body, and control risk factors for heart disease.
This can be due to exercise strengthening the muscles of the heart, allowing it to pump more efficiently. Workouts can also reduce the stress chemical cortisol which is a big contributor to heart disease.
Increases Bone and Joint Health
As shown by the Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center, working out can keep the muscles around the joint strong, decrease bone loss, and may reduce joint swelling and pain.
It has been shown that exercise helps the body release a hormone that can promote the body’s ability to absorb amino acids, allowing them to strengthen, protecting the joints.
Working out can also help build bone density in youths while preventing bone loss later on.
Improves Sleep
Suffering from insomnia? A workout may be just the thing to knock you out. Regular exercise has been found to promote a healthy sleep cycle, allowing you to relax and sleep deeply.
In other studies, they found that people who work out tended to have a better quality of sleep and take less time in falling asleep. Even people with chronic insomnia found benefits in working out to sleep better.
Increases Confidence
Workouts can change the way you feel about yourself, not just in appreciation of your physical self, but by improving determination and even self-esteem.
Research suggests it may be due to the shift in mental health that allows negative thoughts to decrease. While you may feel more confident with a more toned body, the increase in confidence is likely due to the reduction in stress, improvement in brain function, the sense of accomplishment, and increases feel good chemicals overall.
Tips to Work Out for these Benefits
Here are some easy ways to incorporate a workout for all these benefits that have nothing to do with looks!
Add to a Morning Routine
Add a quick workout to your morning routine to start the day off right. It can be a fast HIIT workout, a simple yoga session, or a brisk walk.
Recover Well
The recovery process after working out is just as important as the workout itself. Make sure you give yourself time to rest and recover, tending to soreness in the muscles and fueling the body with protein pack meals to rebuild.
Go for a Walk
Walking is an amazing low impact activity with life changing benefits! Add a walk for an easy yet effective workout daily.
Work from home? Take a walking break next time to get the body moving, blood flowing, and increase productivity and health!
Don’t Compare Yourself
Don’t compare your chapter 1 journey to page 300 of another person. Fitness is indeed a journey and everyone needs to start somewhere!
The Takeaway
Working out has amazing benefits that have nothing to do with looks. You can increase the physical health of the brain, heart, joints, and bones, while improving mental health greatly.
Working out provides individuals with more concentration, more confidence, improved sleep, and a flood of feel good chemicals that can reduce anxiety and depression. Working out can even increase creativity, letting you achieve more by thinking outside the box.
Try to fit a moment to work out into your daily life, whether that’s cardio with walking, HIIT routines, yoga, or even bodyweight workouts. A workout can have nothing to do with looks, and everything to do with mental, physical, and emotional health.
Remember, health starts from within! Fuel your body with top quality food when you can, as this will allow your body to have solid building blocks to take care of you in turn. About 90% of serotonin, the ultimate feel good chemical, is made in the gut, so it is important to support gut health to increase mental and physical health!
A lack of gut health has been linked with lack of muscles, lack of mental health, and a nutrient deficiency, so read all about how to increase gut health today right here!
