Today I GET TO workout

I have always been a huge advocate of exercise.  Besides the obvious benefits such as weight loss and your overall health.  It also has benefits on cognition, heart disease, autoimmune diseases, bone strength, psychologically, your gut flora and microbiome and so much more!

As a division one swimmer, athletics taught me so much.  It taught me time management with having two practices a day for two hours. It taught me teamwork and the benefits of hard work.  It taught me how to push through pain and gave me confidence that I am strong enough inside and out to reach my goals.  I am so thankful of all that being a swimmer taught me.

Now in days, working out is my stress relief.  It helps me turn off my constant mind and just focus on the exercise (or my legs burning in pain lol).  I have made great friends at the gym.  It is great to see familiar faces that hold me accountable for going or just have the funniest stories that brighten my mood after a long day.

My point is that there are soooo many benefits to working out!  Please I urge you, start slow 30 minutes of exercise a week.  Go for a walk (my mom and I walked for 40 minutes at her new home the other day and it was great!), ride a bike outside, join a workout class like spin, lifting or zumba.  Just try anything! I promise after a few weeks you will feel better.  You will be proud of yourself for going.  Your body will thank you in the future for keeping it healthy.   And, try to remember it is a blessing that you can exercise!  So many people are too sick to be able to.

Hopefully, that was not too soap boxy (sorry if it was)... I just really want to encourage people to workout.

Side Note #1: My first ambulatory patient that I took care of at the hospital joined a gym before coming to their outpatient appointment. WINNING!!!

Side Note #2: Check out this amazing TedTalk on the benefits of exercise!