8 healthy reasons to exercise (apart from looking good!)

Exercise is all too often associated with losing weight and looking better.

We all know that working out will help us tone up and look good naked, however, there are SO many other reasons to get active and so many other benefits regular exercise will have on your health.

Here are some reasons exercise should be part of your everyday life that have nothing to do with appearance…

1. It relives stress
If you've had a really bad day in work or college, the last thing you might feel like doing is putting those runners on. Which is funny, because it's the one thing you should do – exercise releases endorphins which can help beat stress and leave you feeling refreshed and hopefully with a fresh perspective. 

2. Can't sleep? Exercise will help
If you can't drift off easily, try working out in the morning or afternoon will help you sleep like a baby. However, rigorous exercise before bed can have the opposite effect so why not try some bedtime yoga instead? 

3. Bounds of energy!
Anyone who regularly works out in the morning will tell you that it helps to make your day more productive and helps to fill you with energy – just try it!

4. Walk taller
Things like yoga, pilates and running as well as countless others all draw attention to training your core, thus improving your posture and helping you to remember to always walk tall. 

5. Make your heart strong
Regularly working out will work wonders for your cardiovascular health and makes your heart stronger allowing it to pump more will less effort. With heart disease being Ireland's number one cause of death, we reckon that's a good enough reason to get moving as any!

6. Improve things in the bedroom…
Exercise helps to keep your body healthy and this includes all of those important sexual functions. Plus, you'll have more energy in the bedroom to explore a little – yay!

7. Get happy!
It's well-known now that exercise improves your mood and makes you happy. This occurs when exercise increases levels serotonin in the brain. 

8. Stay regular
If you find yourself feeling bloated, sluggish and/or constipated, exercise is known to help combat these issues. With constipation often (but not always) being a symptom of inactivity, getting regular workouts can keep you regular.