No matter what you think of it at times, your body is a blessing. This blessing is very powerful and needs to be acknowledged and used well, because it is something that can uplift you or bring you down. Therefore, day by day, make your body related choices (nourishing, resting, maintaining, walking in your shoes) with responsibility and care.
All that it takes is:
- Decisiveness
- Consistency
- Strength
You have them all, make use of them.
Here are some incentives and tips when it comes to exercising, to help you make the first step or keep you going.
Regular Exercising Improves your Body FUNCTION:
1. Relieves Stress, Anxiety and Depression
During exercising the brain releases endorphins (my daughter calls them “inside dolphins”) that create good feelings of euphoria. Also deep, focused breathing during exercising regulates the activity of the brain, changing the brain waves pattern, giving the right kind of signals to your body, making relaxation possible and letting your body heal itself, once it is out of the vicious circle of heavy, stressful thoughts.
Don’t you want to feel better, happier, more satisfied? Let the inside dolphins swim freely.
2. Improves Learning and Memory
Of all types of exercises – running (“sprint at a very rapid and strenuous pace for three minutes, followed by two minutes of slow skittering, with the entire sequence repeated several times“) is has biggest impact on the brain structure. On researches done on mice it seems that even 15 minutes/day of running will create new brain cells in an already mature brain within weeks.
The time to start implementing the changes that protect you from the cognitive functions deterioration that comes with time it is Now.
3. Improves your Mood – especially if you exercise outdoors and preferably if you can catch some sunlight while exercising. Vitamin D is a miraculous life booster. This vitamin has been linked to cognitive function and inadequate levels have been linked to mood swings.
4. Improves Self-Esteem and Body Image
“You never regret a workout”. It also gives you the satisfaction you did well towards yourself.
After each session, consciously recall on purpose how good you feel to motivate you to go on.
5. Promotes Quality Sleep
Exercise has been shown to reset the circadian rhythm. Best time to go to sleep – is after the endorphins level goes lower, 1-2 hours after your evening exercise session. It doesn’t have to be long, 5 minutes will do the trick, just get your “inside dolphins”/endorphins swimming into your blood stream. You will surely sleep better. Relax and go to sleep in Shavasana pose.
6. Increases the Metabolic Rate
Regular exercising encourages better, deeper breathing, increased supply of oxygen to all your cells, which will ensure a better metabolic process. (No fire can burn without enough oxygen; neither can your metabolic fire.)
When exercising you also grow your muscles. To maintain muscle cells requires more energy (calories) in comparison to maintaining fat cells. The more muscle mass you have, the more calories you’ll burn. Slowly, slowly aim to turn some of your fat into muscle. Have few strength exercises in mind and be ready to do them whenever you have the chance: “wall sit” even when you use a chair. You will look and feel better even if your weight doesn’t change. Remember that Health is Wealth.
7. Decreases Appetite
Exercise can be an effective appetite suppressant; it also encourages smarter food choices. Instead of the feeling of guilt and that you putt on you everything you take in, even the water and the air, you will end up living mostly on water and air and feel great.
Get into the habit of exercising often and what-you-like-most and in time you will come to see it, too.
Regular Exercising Benefits your ORGANS:
8. Helps/Massages your Digestive Organs and Increases their Blood Flow.
Exercise can relieve constipation. Uddiyana Bandha is one of the most effective exercises to fight constipation. The same can be said about the leg lifting exercise.
9. Strengthens the Heart
If you’re feeling low in the middle of the workday, take a brief walk to get the heart pumping and blood flowing to boost your energy and performance. Or do most simple conditioning exercises, like jumping with or without a rope, 2 or 3 rounds, for as long as you can. Take deep breaths between the jumping sets. Relax your wrists. If you do the “weight pulling” exercise, you went also through a strength exercise; say goodbye to your fat!
10. Builds Stronger Bones
If you don’t use them, you loose them (see osteoporosis). Regular exercise is the best supplement for your bones! After a session of exercise have a meal rich in seaweed (better than milk for Calcium intake) or simply a glass of milk, preferably full fat, organic, from grass-fed/pasture raised animals. Calcium absorption is sky-high at this very moment. Eating a dish with homemade bone broth will help tremendously to keep your joints and skin young and healthy.
11. Reduces Degenerative Disease Risk
It helps regulate blood sugar levels and strengthens your immunity. It also helps prevent degenerative diseases like type 2 diabetes, stroke, heart disease, fatty liver and even some forms of cancer. Now it is the time to decide, you want to live with or without them? If you need more incentives on this direction remember that:
3 out of 10 Singaporeans have diabetes before turning 40.
1 in 3 Singaporeans die of cancer.
and so on…
Regular Exercises – Special Bonus:
Provides a Bonding Experience with your Loved Ones
It can be the antidote for the technology/social media addicts in the house, in case you have any. Invite them to join you. In the beginning it might be hard to convince them, but it is worth the effort. Think of a strategy on how you will do it. If the first attempt is unsuccessful, try again, try to invite someone else.
First of all you do it for yourself, even if in the end EVERYBODY will benefit from it. Become aware that you need and want this impactful good change in your life and be the change you want to see in the world.
Later you will be grateful for how your life had turned around, so go for it, every single day.
Enjoy!
GuideDoctor 
Thanks for all this very useful information can you please tell me what’s the brand that I should look for and what type of seaweed also any brand of milk that you are using for the family. I don’t eat red meat so I am always looking for other sources of protein. Thank you
Thank you Kiran
I and my family drink WHOLE FAT milk, preferably organic and from grass-fed/pasture raised animals. Just check all the labels until you find “the one”! I go for the brands which are non homogenized if I can help it. The pasteurization – we can’t escape.
As Japanese residents with a very healthy background of 12 years spent in Japan, we continue to have miso soup all the time, almost every day. We cook it in the traditional way, with fish stock and Kombu, you can buy them in Singapore in the big stores from the Japanese section. It is the best source of iodine as well.
I also sprinkle a handful of wakame in the end, (the dry one, instant flakes, is very convenient for starters). After you get used to this two, if you want to go further you look into hijiki and raw wakame salad but that is an acquired taste, you might have to try several times before you like it.
It is best to sample them in a good Japanese restaurant, get inspired and try to make it at home, have little amounts (few grams at once) and increase gradually.
Best source of proteins (also essential fat) might be for you fatty, big, wild fish and eggs.
Go for best quality you can find. It is worth paying the price.
Hope this helps.
Thank you again looks like I have to do some adventure shopping ☺ at the Japanese supermarket
Thank you Lili for your motivating article about exercising. With your yoga lessons and inspiring talks, working out has become essential part of my life. Not only has yoga helped me with getting more flexible, I have been a better swimmer and better runner also; with all the breath training that’s inherent to yoga postures. I ran my first 5 km race and could do it without getting exhausted, all attributed to the yoga sessions. Looking forward to more exercise sessions with you.
Thanks Li Li.
Since I read this article last month, I’ve started to swim on a regular basis. I think the benefits are for both physical and mental wellbeing.
I thank you for writing this article.