Exercise Is DIY Immediate Gratification

We know that exercising regularly over a long period of time has many benefits: weight loss, lowered blood pressure, greater flexibility, stamina and as well as building lean muscle.  And it has also been established, that the brain loves to create new pathways-- habits, if you will. Do something for 30 days, the experts tells us, and it becomes a ritual; something you look forward to, plan your day around, which is awesome. But it is also true that there are immediate and tangible benefits from the first time you work out.  These are some of our favorite short term immediate health benefits of exercising:

• You’ll look better! Breaking a good sweat is the equivalent of a mini-facial-- the tiny arteries in your skin open up, allowing more blood to reach the surface. The result? You guessed it-- a healthy, rosy glow!  I’m a fan of extending that goodness to 10 minutes in the sauna. Studies have shown, too, that we feel better about how we look after we’ve exercised-- an added boost of self esteem. Additionally, exercise that strengthens and stretches your muscles like yoga, can actually make you taller, by improving your posture.

• You will be in a much better mood!  This is pretty much guaranteed.  Exercise raises endorphin levels.-- the feel good chemical in our brain. Scientifically, it blocks our receptors to pain, but on a day to day level, people who exercise think more clearly, and have a renewed energy and outlook about their lives.  It has also been known to fight depression. This happens the very first time you break a sweat.  The American Psychological Association stresses the mind-body connection and claims that we will get that first rush of endorphins after only five minutes of exercising.  

• You’ll eat less! Gretchen Reynolds writes in The New York Times that vigorous exercise leads to short term “suppression of appetite".  A study demonstrated that you’ll consume less calories throughout the day because exercise increases chemicals in the brain directly linked to appetite and satiety. According to this study, this lasts into the next day: 

“Strenuous exercise seems to dull the urge to eat afterward better than gentler workouts, several new studies show, adding to a growing body of science suggesting that intense exercise may have unique benefits”.

In the digital age, we have learned to love, and even expect immediate gratification.  Exercise is especially potent in our day to day life, because it guarantees both immediate gratification-- we look better, feel better, eat less--  and significant long term benefits.  Research confirms that healthy employees are more productive, take fewer sick days, and have increased retention rates.