The importance of exercise

Hello, hello! I don't know why I decided to say hello twice, but that's what I said in my head and so that's what I typed!
Today I'd like to spend a little bit of time touching on a subject that has been done to death- exercise!
Hey- no eye rolling!

Looking at you Harry Potter!

I'm not here to preach a certain belief I have or carry on about how 2 hours of exercise a day is good, or 3, or 20 minutes or whatever the current craze is.

I'm here to have a chat, share my thoughts and bring up injuries and coping strategies

Now I know that exercise isn't everyone's cup of tea. It may not even be your cup of coffee! This may in fact be the very definition of you:

 And hey, that's cool- that's you! But before you go and scoff down that pizza, why not read on to find out a bit more about this crazy thing called exercise.

 Now, I mentioned this guy in a previous post of mine, where I'd just found him on youtube and thought his videos were awesome. He has ideas, values and attitudes that he's not afraid to flat out say and this video is no different:

Ok, so let's get the boring facts that we've all heard a bajillion times (but are still really important) out of the way first.
We all know that regular exercise..

• Controls weight
• Combats health conditions and diseases
• Improves mood
• Boosts energy
• Promotes better sleep

Now all those were reasons enough for me to first get into exercise. As a kid I'd always just done exercise without realising it. I played net ball, did karate and gymnastics and dancing (yes, all at the same time) as well as school sport and doing crazy flips and tricks at recess and lunch (that's if I wasn't playing chasey) Then all of a sudden I got this thing called Osgood-schlatters disease and had to stop all activity.
It was the worst thing ever for my 11-year-old self as my acrobatic comps were coming up very soon. I cried for ages and then just let it go, I guess.

Sorry, I couldn't resist :)

 The problem with this forced break, was that it was a long recovery and I got used to doing nothing. I didn't play a sport and I felt myself feeling lower and lower. It was around this time that I started high school (I was 12 years old going into year 7) and my sister was also moving out of home. I had no way to cope.

I'd never felt like this before- I was that happy, sunshine girl that was always smiling and now I was feeling a weird sensation of sadness that wouldn't budge.
This lasted for longer than I should have let it, but then one day, I decided to go for a run. I had no proper exercise clothes, I had cheap supermarket trainers and no sense of where I was going. I just ran. I didn't run for long and I felt a bit sick and dizzy, but a few hours later I felt great. I ran again the next day and felt the same great feeling. Fast forward a year and a half and here I am- a happy, healthy young adult (now with some exercise gear and proper trainers) enjoying life and anythig it throws at me.

Now this was just my experience with exercise, but I seriously think it is amazing how it can change you're entire out look on life. The points listed above mention the physical benefits of exercise, but they don't even touch on the mental and internal effects. This article perfectly discusses these benefits and if the physical side doesn't persuade you, then I'm fairly sure this might.

Before you sigh loudly and pull out your running shoes, don't force yourself to do something you hate. I love running. It is the form of exercise I enjoy. Not everyone is like me- find something you love and do it often!

Lacking motivation? Always remember this:

What are your thoughts on this topic?

Do you enjoy exercise?
What's your favourite form of exercise?
Ever had an injury that took you out of everything?

It's an important topic that has such an effect on our body that I think we should all know a little bit more about the benefits even a simple walk can provide.

Talk to ya later! :D