Exercise And Our Temples

We all can recall our parents at a very young age harping at us “you better eat your Wheaties.” In fact, it was  referenced as “the breakfast of champions”.  Now with further research we know that there are much healthier options that would fuel your day to be more productive than a hearty bowl of refined breakfast cereal.  Our parents were aware that food is a vital component in our daily lives to be healthy and whole physically, mentally, and spiritually.

The Holy Bible references our bodies “as the temple of God” and we should nourish and treat our bodies as such.  In order to thrive in life its so crucial to fuel our bodies accordingly, so we can be productive in every facet of our lives and prevent premature health problems, which typically are a direct result of what we put in our mouths on a daily basis.

When we look at how exercise impacts our daily lives, we should all take to heart the expression “move it or lose it.” As a personal trainer, with Crosier Conditioning, I often hear my clients state to me how great they feel when they get done an exercise session with me.  That’s because the benefits of exercise are so tangible and have immediate positive effects on our minds and bodies.  Exercise help to burn off too much cortisol, which as I mentioned in previous blogs, is a stress hormone that must be in balance to foster overall health.

Too much cortisol can cause you to become insulin resistant hence storing belly fat.  Too much cortisol also makes you crave sugar and carbs and seek comfort foods.

Let’s look at other reasons why exercise is so important:

BETTER INSULIN SENSITIVITY: Exercise makes your cells and muscles more sensitive to insulin so you don’t need as much. Less insulin means less body fat as insulin is a fat storing hormone.

LESS STRESS: I often hear my personal training clients say, “why do I feel so much better after my workout mentally”.  Simple answer is exercise reduces the stress hormone cortisol.

BETTER BRAIN HEALTH: Your brain on exercise performs so much better. Exercise improves memory, learning, and concentration. Vigorous exercise has been shown in studies to be a better antidepressant than Prozac. Exercise creates brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which is basically miracle grow for your brain.

For further hands on education on how to incorporate exercise into your daily lives my Crosier Conditioning training business  will offer some solutions that can put you on a path to greater overall wellness.