Seriously, she’s the awesome leader of the Sculpt & Burn class I’ve been going to for the past month or so. Exercise is great and has some wonderful benefits. Who better to share them with us than a professional? Sarah’s awesome and so interested in helping anyone become more active.
In addition to these great benefits, she’s agreed to answer any questions you might have. Just leave a comment and she’ll check back. As an incentive, there will be a giveaway. Yay!
Anyone leaving a comment will go in the drawing to win a copy of The Spark. I’ve talked about this book before and love it. Here’s your chance to check it out.
Everyone, please welcome Sarah Brown.
Hello there. My name is Sarah and I am a fitness fanatic. That may not be completely true, but after rewriting this first sentence over 10 times, I figured the AA greeting would have to suffice.
I have always been passionate about exercise and certified to teach aerobics when I was 18. I have taught on and off for 12 years, run over 20 half marathons, 1 full marathon, and completed 2 triathlons. I also love playing tennis, attending any and all gym classes, mountain biking, skiing, yoga, Cross Fit and dancing in my kitchen. Do you think I’m crazy? You shouldn’t.
Let’s talk about exercise for a minute, shall we? It is UNBELIEVABLY good for you. Why?
*It improves your mood. When you exercise your brain releases “happy” chemicals. This will leave you happier and more relaxed after a workout. Seriously, with the weather here in Germany, if I wasn’t exercising, I would have some serious seasonal depression!
*It prevents chronic disease. Exercise has been known to help prevent heart disease, osteoporosis (a serious concern in my family), high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. It can also prevent type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer. Wow.
*It helps you sleep better. I am a serious insomniac. This side effect alone is worth it for me.
*Your energy will go through the roof. The first few weeks may be tough and you may feel tired while your body is adjusting, but after this initial period, watch out! With all the great sleep you’ve been getting and those “happy” chemicals bouncing around your brain, you’ll become unstoppable.
*It will help you manage your weight. Need I say more? When you exercise, you burn calories. This means that (a) you will begin to slowly lose weight or (b) you can eat more. This is what I call a win-win.
*IT CAN BE - - - FUN. Seriously. I don’t care who you are, there is an exercise that you will enjoy. Zumba? Biking? Walking with your family? Playing Frisbee? Dancing in your kitchen? Remember when you were a kid and you ran or biked everywhere? And you never wanted to slow down…ever. Before “it” became exercise, it was play. Never forget that.
If you are in love with your current exercise routine – great. If you’re getting bored with it – it’s time to switch it up. If you’ve been thinking about starting a program – now is the time. The above benefits are just the beginning. There is an activity or an instructor that is the perfect fit for you. Go ahead.
You deserve it.
Okay, I’ll get off my soap box now, but THANK YOU for letting me stop by. If you have any questions, or things you want to know more about, please don’t hesitate to comment!
Cheers,
Sarah
5 comments:
Thanks for stopping and sharing all the benefits of exercise. I usually go to the fitness center in the morning for a couple of miles on the tread mill, but I sit at the computer all day. Do you have any tips to help with back aches and swollen ankles? I've tried getting up every couple of hours and moving around but if I'm in the 'zone' I have a hard time stopping.
Hi Kathy,
Thanks for the comment. I have a couple of ideas for you. 1. Have you ever thought of substituting a stability ball for your office chair? When you sit on a stability ball (vs. a chair) it forces you to engage your core muscles which will help reduce back pain and improve your posture. Substitute it for your chair for 10 minutes a few times a day and slowly build up to an hour a day. You won't regret it. Check out a yoga class or video. Yoga strengthens your core while stretching out your chest and hip flexors (common ache areas resulting from desk jobs. The yoga also will help with the swollen ankles. Good luck!
Thanks for the suggestion. I've see those balls at the fitness center. My first thought is that I would sit slumped without a back, but now that I'm thinking about it I wouldn't stay balanced. My daughter does Yoga, cause I think my hip flexors could use some help. I get sciatica every once in a while. Thanks again.
Sarah's Yoga classes are awesome! And if you do try Yoga, wherever you are, make sure you go at least 3x to see if you really like it or not. It is a different type of activity that your body is not used to. I'll admit, I did not care for it until I went at least a half a dozen times because I finally started to "get it". I've had a few friends join me for classes and they didn't like it but I have to beg them to come back a few times before they decide, and then they're hooked!
Sarah - is there a good web site or tool that we can use to find out our required calories per day? I found one on SparkPeople.com a few years ago but I can't seem to locate it now. I know mine because you helped me find it, but my friend wants to calculate hers. And will it give us numbers to both maintain weight and lose 1-2lb/week? Thanks!
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