UNITED STATES—Exercise, I dread it, but I know in my bones it is something I have to do, even if I’m burnt out and exhausted. When you exercise it helps you stay active, and at the same time improves your overall health. You cannot just sit in the bed or on the couch all day and eat junk and expect your health not to take a tumble. I have a very busy schedule during the week; when I say that I mean it.

I’m on average working 10-12 hour days at least 2-3 times during the week. As a result, when I get done with work, I’m burnt out and I mean the only thing I want to do is hit the bed. However, my mind perks up and tells me that I have to get my bum off the couch and get it in motion. Some people say if you’re not working out an adequate amount of time it will not help your overall health. I’m not a believer of that assumption.

Any form of movement is better than no movement at all. I would argue each of us can take at least 10-15 minutes each day to do intense jogging, cycling, biking or working on the elliptical. If you don’t have any of those machines you can do jumping jacks, push-ups or sit-ups. I’m going to repeat that phrase because it is very important: any form of movement is better than no movement at all. I find a way to try to get on that elliptical or bike and power through my exhaustion to try to get my body in decent shape and healthy to some degree.

Are there times where I absolutely don’t want to exercise? Without a doubt and I know I’m not the only American who feels this way. So how do you motivate yourself?  Think about your health. Think about not having to visit the doctor because of bad eating habits that have contributed to high blood pressure, stress or other ailments. Am I saying if you eat right you will not get sick? No, but we know what you put in your mouth does indeed contribute to some of the health issues we encounter later on.

Exercise is not just good for your physical health, but it’s good for your mental health. You may be surprised to realize that exercise can help calm the nerves, not to mention to decompress that stress that you may be experiencing. If I’m tense with stress, I’ve seen situations where if I work out that stress starts to cease to exist. If you’re worried about something in your personal or family life, a few moments of intense exercise can eliminate that stressor or those thoughts for a time being, heck, it might eliminate those bad thoughts for the rest of the day.

Family could be another big motivator when it comes to exercise. You want to be around for your children, your husband, your wife, your pets and family. When you have a history of diabetes in the family or individuals being overweight, it’s not a bad idea to decrease those risks by moving the body. They always say we cannot choose our family, which is true, but we can choose what we do with our health. So every time you think you cannot do it, even if it’s for 5, 10, 15, 20, or 30 minutes, some movement is better than no movement at all. Remember that!

Written By Kelsey Thomas