Do you feel sluggish, a little down, and in a rut for seemingly no reason? Have you ever noticed a burst of energy that you get after you strenuously exercise or get the blood flowing in…other ways 😉 Are you one of those lucky people that get a runner’s high?

I know this seems counterintuitive because if you’re already tired, it seems impossible to exercise. But here’s the trick….you need to get your body moving FIRST and then you’ll be rewarded with increased energy. Tada! That’s the secret. You can’t wait until you have energy to exercise, or wait until you feel like it. You just have to start. If you’re really tired then obviously, take care of yourself and get enough sleep, food, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs etc. If you’re feeling really down and a workout seems impossible then guess what… go for a walk! That is an exercise and it’s not too intense. It is something (aka better than nothing) and will get you moving and your blood pumping. 

Benefits of exercise*

• It Makes You Feel Happier.
• Increases Your Ability to Handle Stress.
• It Leads to Weight Loss.
• It Is Good for Your Muscles and Bones.
• It Increases Your Energy Levels.
• Improves Your Sexual Health
• It Reduces Your Risk of Chronic Disease.
• It Helps with Skin Health.
• It Helps Your Brain Health and Memory.
• It Causes Relaxation and Increases Sleep Quality.
• It Slows Aging.
• It Boosts Your Confidence.

Personally, I benefit from exercise quite a lot as I have depression. It drastically improves my mood and energy levels. Although, having depression makes it seem impossible to workout because I’d rather crawl under a rock and lay there for a couple days. But alas, I choose to strip down to my sports bra and workout shorts to do a Pilates video, UptotheBeat Fitness workout, or go for a hike. Even doing a yoga video has the immense power to shift my mood and energy levels. And let’s be honest, I love the “easy” yoga videos, the more relaxing, Yin-style yoga videos. They’re more meditative and I find more benefit from them than the pumped up, sped up, yoga classes where they’re playing Pump Up the Jams.

So, Dear Reader, I would like to know if this was helpful, and what exercise do you commit to doing today? I don’t know if anyone else is like this, but exercise for me is like turning a light switch from off (me feeling blah and kinda, duh) to ON and ready to accomplish some tasks, goals, conquer the world, and maybe, just maybe take out the trash!