Someone once asked me, why should we put so much effort to keep ourselves fit, is it really important?  What if we just let everything take its own course? I simply retorted, Let’s say,during the course you get Diabetes,blood pressure or obesity. Are you ok with all such health problems and ready to take pills for the same. Are you okay to have the restrictive diet that is followed under such conditions. Will it not be better that we try our best to prevent any such unwelcomed illness and even if it has to happen, we prepare and strengthen ourselves to fight and get rid of it.

This is just one of the reasons to pursue fitness, there are many more. And it is very important to understand that Fitness is not a hobby,it is a lifestyle. It is a conscious effort taken everyday which then becomes natural. Give yourself the time and trust to overcome all the obstacles and fears you might have to pursue a life of fitness. It is not at all hard, believe me. Start with Baby steps. Don’t rush. After reading the reasons listed below I am sure you will start your fitness journey immediately, or at least give it a try.

Before listing the reason, I just wanted to tell you what fitness is?? It is not a set of exercise, or a diet you are supposed to follow. Fitness as a whole means your body is in sync with your mind and you have full control over your emotional and physical needs. What helps us reach this state of mind is eating right and staying active. It is like the optimum use of your resources to get the best of what you have. 

Here are a few more reasons for those who ask “Why Fitness”?

Feel Good inside/outside: we all want to feel good. Don’t we? When we exercise,our body releases chemicals like dopamine and endorphins which makes us happy. While releasing these, exercise also helps our brain to get rid of stress hormones there by making us more relaxed and calm

Let me also tell you that real food nourishes our body and satiates us from within leaving us full and less deprived. It eliminates our addiction, You lose weight and feel energetic. Basically,your body is happy with the way you treat it and responds just the way you want. Being health conscious makes you feel great from the inside as well as outside.

Increases your lifespan: Nobody knows what the future holds but one thing we all know that the more we move, the longer we live.This is not a random saying but a  statement that is backed by facts.. Fitness is linked to promote longevity of an individual..The key is to eat right and stay active. Along with the extended life span, what is more important is that you can spend your days disease free and without any food and body restrictions. Keeping fit comes with a lot of perks,you know. Experts have claimed  there is an age related decline when you are involved in physical activities.

Makes you stronger: when you start doing something regularly, you become efficient at it. So is the case with exercise.With everyday exercise even for a few minutes, you will gain strength  and your moves will become easy and perfect. Your stamina increases with each passing day, so does your agility. This power does not come in a day, you have to be persistent and consistent. The payoffs are amazingly satisfying.

Increased immunity/ speedy recovery: well, this is self explained. Staying fit will boost your immunity. Exercising increases your blood flow, your cardiovascular capacity shoots up, your muscle endurance strengthens  thereby resisting any disease or ailments into your body. Even if you do get sick, your recovery is much faster than average patients. Isn’t it a great value  proposition to start working out right away. 

Calms your Mind: When we work towards keeping fit, it not only affects our body, it also calms and clears our mind. Studies suggest that exercise and food has a great amount of influence on your mental health. The very same endorphins that make us happy also helps us to concentrate better and think clearly.Your energies are then used to focus on more important things rather than managing stress levels. Just one long,deep breath can do more than we can imagine. Not only for adults, fitness has huge benefits for kids as well. It increases the concentration levels and helps to build focus.Also as you master the skills you gain a lot of confidence. Aren’t these the traits required for a bright future?

Inculcates Discipline: what is discipline? The practice of training yourself /others to obey rules. So when you decide to become fit, you will need to do a lot of things that you don’t want to. Like going to sleep at a fixed time, eating consciously, working out consistently etc. In a way when you choose to follow fitness you learn to discipline yourself. Your will power increases. In a way you are now capable of overcoming any procrastination, laziness,addictions and impulses. Yes, this is a powerful side effect of fitness.

Balance and Flexibility: With confidence, you also become more flexible and learn to balance yourself. Your body is now capable of engaging in anything you like to do without discomfort and injury. For me personally,this is a great reason to motivate myself to keep fit everyday. I believe in living in the moment and doing what I love. Move one block everyday, and the pat yourselves.

Self Awareness: When we take steps to stay active, eat healthy and mindfully, we understand ourselves better. We figure out our strengths and our weaknesses. And when we challenge ourselves and outshine our weakness, we fall in love with this new version of self. Also not to mention, the satisfaction of looking yourself in the mirror is unsurpassable.  

Spiritual health: When you are healthy and active, you are happy. A healthy body without any aches and ailments enables you to enjoy life in full. It is not easy to focus on any other aspect if we are not at peace with ourselves. When we are happy with ourselves, we then seek to make others happy. Physical health is very much linked to spiritual  health. Mind is linked to body and body is linked to soul. What is good for the body is in a sense good for the soul too. Body is here the vehicle,mind the driver and soul is the destination. 

Sleep better: Last but highly important is the gift of sleep. I have noticed that when I engage in physical activities, I sleep better. Small things like a small cup of turmeric milk, a deep breath, or just some powerful stretches can enable a sound sleep. And when you sleep better, There is enough evidence to clear that when you sleep better you live better. How you feel and act during the day is directly proportional to how you sleep through the night. So my friends, enjoy the benefits of slumber and stay fit.

In the end, I will only say that once you start your fitness journey, you will feel so good that you will not look for any such reasons, you will do it just for the love of it.  This is what fitness is all about.