REASONS TO EXERCISE ASIDE FROM WEIGHT LOSS

Yesterday, I stumbled on an article from a website, popsugar.com written by Leta Shy and published on November 19, 2015. I have known for quite a while that exercise contributes just a small fraction of what is required for successful weight loss. Still, I have definitely 'bought in' to the idea that exercise is essential to a happy healthy life.  The article by Leta Shy listed these six benefits:

1. MORE ENERGY
2. DISEASE PREVENTION
3. MOOD BOOST
4. BETTER SLEEP
5. INCREASED PAIN TOLERANCE
6. BETTER BRAIN FUNCTION

I thought I would comment a bit on each of these benefits. It seems counter-intuitive that exercise would make one feel more energetic. Nevertheless, it is true.  Disease prevention is easy to understand. Exercise strengthens one's heart muscle. And it would be very difficult to imagine a more important muscle to have working at optimum efficiency. Many people have heard about 'runners high.'  It turns out that this is real. A workout will release endorphins into your bloodstream and these simply will put you in a better mood. I do know that on a day that I miss exercising, I am not quite as cheerful as I like to be. It is very intuitive that exercising can improve one's sleep. Although, exercising can give you more energy during the day, it is true that when it is time to shut down, sleep comes more easily and can be more restful. The author, also claimed that regular exercise can lead to increased pain tolerance. I am not so sure that I can fully buy into this particular premise. I still find the pain of something as simple as a paper cut to be excruciating. And finally, the author claims that exercise can improve brain function. The claim is that that same endorphins that increase you mood can also help clear your mind and help you think better. 

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Your Food Diary For:

Friday, February 26, 2016

BREAKFAST	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
3 Egg Omelette - Ham and Cheese, 0.67 Omelette	268	1	20	27	821	0
Malt O Meal - Honey Nut Scooters, 60 g	240	48	3	6	420	18
International Delight - Single Creamers	120	20	6	0	0	20
Fiber One - Fiber One Bar, Oats & Chocolate, 2 bar	280	58	8	4	180	20
	908	127	37	37	1,421	58
L U N C H
YOGURT PRETZELS	380	56	16	4	360	38
HYVEE - HUGE SPINACH SALAD	750	0	0	0	0	0
Red Delicious - Apple, Large, 3	333	88	1	2	6	66
Add Food	1,463	144	17	6	366	104
D I N N E R
Spaghetti With Meat Sauce	480	126	3	21	0	0
DATE PIECES	300	75	0	3	25	55
	780	201	3	24	25	55
S N A C K S
Banana Chip	300	34	20	2	0	20
	300	34	20	2	0	20
Totals	3,451	506	77	68	1,812	237
Your Daily Goal	5,598	700	186	280	2,300	210
Remaining	2,147	194	108	212	488	-27
	Calories	Carbs	Fat	Protein	Sodium	Sugar
	*You've earned 3,668 extra calories from exercise today

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Your Exercise Diary for:

Friday, February 26, 2016

Cardiovascular	Minutes	Calories Burned
STAR TRAC ELLIPTICAL	92	2,187
STAR TRAC ELLIPTICAL	92	1,750
MFP iOS calorie adjustment	N/A	-269
Daily Total / Goal	185 / 30	3,668 / 590
Weekly Total / Goal	883 / 210	13,284 / 4,130

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total calories consumed 3451 calories

total calories burned (elliptical-3 HOURS) 3937 calories

total net 486 calorie deficit

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fitbit day 177

22375 steps  

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SATURDAY WEIGHT 228.3 lbs

down slightly from last week...I'll take it...

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