Benefits of working out everyday ☺️
Hi friends, welcome back! In today's post, I'll be going through the changes I saw in myself after working out for the entire month of March.
If you don't want to read all the way until the end, the summary is that everything got better, mentally, physically, and emotionally.
I won't dive too deep into the workouts I was doing (wrote all about the Peloton app I was using here) but I made sure to get in some sort of movement everyday whether it was just a 45 minute walk, or a full out 60 minute sweat session.
Either way, through consistency and discipline, these are the following benefits that I noticed - to be clear, these didn't all hit on March 31, but rather, I began noticing changes in myself as I progressed through the month.
Clearer skin: I noticed that my skin was clearer and smoother, I got less hormonal acne, and if the occasional pimple was to appear, it would go down within a day or two which was much faster than before. This and the next point are both related to increased blood flow and circulation throughout the body.
Faster hair growth: I cut my hair twice during lockdown (honestly I think I did a pretty good job!!) and now by the end of March, it's so much longer and healthier than I remember. In fact, this is the longest it's ever been with the least amount of split ends. Something else I did in March was flip my head upside down and use a silicone scalp massager like this to massage for 5 minutes. This combined with the daily movement definitely made a big difference.
Better sleep: Since I was so physically exhausted at the end of each day, it was much easier for me to fall asleep and stay asleep. My biggest issues pre-March was that I would wake up around 2/3/4AM which then made it so much harder to wake up at my actual time - 5:30AM. However, I now find that I'm sleeping through the entire night which allows me to wake up more refreshed and well-rested.
Better mood: In previous months when I was working out here and there, I could visibly see a difference in my mood compared to days where I worked out and days where I didn't. On mornings where I didn't work out, I would wake up later and just start work at 9AM whereas if I worked out, I already accomplished something for myself - and that's why I think I felt SO much self-love for myself in March. Of course this is backed by science as well, since it's the release of endorphins that make us feel good after a workout.
Physical results: Working out consistently was a mental barrier in my mind, and I knew if I could just leap over it, then the physical results would inevitably follow (i.e. I don't work out for the physical benefits because I know they will follow). Sure enough, with the cardio and strength training, my body composition is slowly changing and the baby biceps are making an appearance!
Better eating habits: I knew I was putting in all this work into exercising, so I didn't want to negate it/throw it all away by eating badly. This led me to choose a more whole foods, plant based diet and eat only when I was truly hungry rather than mindlessly eating throughout the day.
Better digestion and less bloating: With all the movement and clean eating, I noticed that my digestive system became more regular. With this, I was less bloated, and I just felt leaner.
Bringing exercise into my life was a Keystone Habit (if you're not familiar with this, I highly recommend reading the Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg). A keystone habit is one that influences all other aspects of your life.
Because I was working out:
I wanted to eat better which in turn led to better digestion and less bloating
I was exhausted at the end of each day which led to quality sleep which led to being fully prepared for the next day
I was in a great mood which then allows me to be kinder and nicer to those around me
Because I can push myself so hard during my workouts, I know that I can get so much done in my non-exercise life, and that I am capable of operating in this manner. Because I am disciplined and consistent, this allows me to carry these same values into my life, whether it be with the foods that I eat, my journaling practice, my content creation, etc.
It doesn't have to be intense exercise, even a daily yoga practice can bring so many benefits into your life.
I never used to be committed to working out, and I thought being consistent with at-home workouts just wasn't up my alley, but COVID happened (and is still happening) so we improvise, we adapt and we continue to our best lives (as much as possible!).
Sending you lots of love and light,
-Reina xo
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