I’ve been recovering from a shoulder injury for a while now and with the gyms currently closed my fitness level has reached an all-time low. I LOVE the gym, when I say love, I mean love. BUT at first, I hated it. My first few years in the gym were very unhealthy. If you’ve realized the world does this thing where they teach us that exercise = “skinny”. AND that was in when I first started going to the gym 8 years ago. It was not introduced as something positive where I was focusing on my health, promoting health longevity, nourishing my body, building muscle, and the list goes on.
Not everyone enjoys going to the gym, there are people that hate it. AND THAT IS OKAY! Fitness is about moving your body in a safe manner that you enjoy; whether that be dancing, running, playing soccer, yoga, etcetera. I usually do strength exercises, but because of this shoulder injury and being stuck at home (C19 and it is cold outside!) I either dance in front of my mirror or do some stretches.
Globally those aged 18-64 should aim to get 150 minutes of physical activity weekly. That’s about 21 minutes, an anime episode, or 5-6 tracks off SZA’s CTRL album per day. And of course, you don’t have to do it daily, split it up as you wish. AND if you don't reach 150 minutes, that's okay! Listen to your body and do what is right for you. Here's 5 reasons why you should try to get some physical activity into your week.
Sources:
Nystoriak, M. A., & Bhatnagar, A. (2018). Cardiovascular effects and benefits of exercise. Frontiers in cardiovascular medicine, 5, 135.
Ruby, M. B., Dunn, E. W., Perrino, A., Gillis, R., & Viel, S. (2011). The invisible benefits of exercise. Health Psychology, 30(1), 67.
Vina, J., Sanchis‐Gomar, F., Martinez‐Bello, V., & Gomez‐Cabrera, M. C. (2012). Exercise acts as a drug; the pharmacological benefits of exercise. British journal of pharmacology, 167(1), 1-12.