If you are a regular reader of our blog, you’ve come to the conclusion that we are big on urging people to become the most awesome version of themselves.
I mean, we own a CrossFit box, so of course we are all about fitness.
And, for the most part, we’ve talked about why it’s important to get bit. But we haven’t spent any time talking about what happens if you don’t go to the gym.
That changes with this post.
We’re not in the business of scaring you, but you should know what happens when you don’t engage in regular fitness.
Let’s examine your brain and body on no exercise.
Your Brain
Researchers once studied the brains of high intensity runners and asked them to move as little as possible for ten days. This inactivity slowed the flow of blood to eight regions of their brain. The hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for memory formation, storage and retrieval – we talked about the hippocampus last week – was affected by the restricted blood flow.
While there were no solid results to report, we do know that the less blood that flows to the hippocampus, the more susceptible you become to poor memory.
Exercising on a regular basis also produces the “fun” chemicals like serotonin and endorphins. Since your body craves physical activity, these chemicals are released into the bloodstream so that your body tells you it wants you to continue to work out, even if your conscious brain is telling you that it hates when you do burpees.
Your Body
We don’t think it’s necessary to explain how your body benefits from exercise, but here is what is happening when you don’t exercise.
A few of the main reasons you exercise are to control your weight and blood pressure. When you don’t exercise, you burn fewer calories than you do if you do work out. (Duh.) The excess calories that don’t get burned off turn into extra weight, which goes straight to your midsection. This can turn into higher blood pressure and type 2 diabetes. Plus, it gets harder to work out when you start to become overweight because you start to put stress on your joints.
If you still don’t feel the need to exercise on a regular basis, know that your muscles become weak from a lack of use. Bones also lose density with age. Working out regularly helps to keep bones and muscles from deteriorating. Not only is this going to ward off Father Time for a bit, but those muscles will react positively when you’re using them for more than just holding a remote control.
Finally, a lack of exercise just makes life unbearable. If you work high up in a building, it’s tempting to always take the elevator to get to your office because you are short of breath if you take the stairs. But that’s your body telling you to get your butt moving! The more exercise you do, the more endurance you build up. This allows you to take the stairs instead of an elevator. And when you’re climbing flights of stairs, you’re exercising, so it’s a win-win.
The next time you get to the gym on a regular basis, take a minute to take stock of how great you feel.
It feels good, doesn’t it?
Whether or not you work at a desk or your profession takes you on a job site, we all need to exercise.
But you already knew that. Consider this our way of gently nudging you to the gym, if you aren’t on your way already.
Interested in trying out our gym? Schedule a free, no-sweat intro today!