I count him braver who overcomeshis desires than him who conquers his enemies; for the hardest victory is the victory over self.

Aristotle

We often find ourselves too lazy to fulfill our workout routine. “I’m tired today, I had a long day at work, I’ll go tomorrow.” The list of excuses goes on and on:

As many fitness pros are saying, you have to force yourself and go no matter what – don’t make excuses! I can’t agree more. Those times when I really struggled – you know, when a little devil is whispering in your ear that it’s ok not to go, but I ended up sticking to the plan and hitting the gym were so gratifying. Let me share this personal experience with you and tell you about the 10 wonderful rewards that await anyone who has the guts to lift not only the heavy plates at the gym, but first and foremost the mental obstacles within oneself.

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• 1. It puts you in a cheerful mood
• 2. You make friends there
• 3. It silences your self-doubt
• 4. It boosts your immune system
• 5. It encourages you to eat healthy
• 6. It gives you a good night’s sleep
• 7. It soothes your overworked mind
• 8. It makes you fit
• 9. It saves you money
• 10. It makes you hot!

1. It puts you in a cheerful mood

There are times when a mild depression strikes me and going to the gym then seems like climbing Everest. I feel too heavy to get up and do anything. Fortunately, I’ve done it many times – I force myself to the gym no matter how bad my mood is. It always pays off. I feel tired afterwards but I feel relaxed and have this unbeatable sense of accomplishment.

We release endorphins, adrenaline, serotonin and dopamine when we exercise . These chemicals all work together to make us feel good. It’s like getting high without any of the negative consequences.

2. You make friends there

I’m an entrepreneur and full-time digital marketer working from home, which tends to limit the amount of human interactions I get during the day. A lot of my social life is online! Who said I’m a geek? 😉 Jokes aside, I have many friends at the gym. It’s a virtuous circle: when I go there I make friends, and having friends make me want to go there! Sport buddies respect each other because they value the self-discipline involved in sticking to a training regime. Friends who sweat together, stay together.

3. It silences your self-doubt

The little devil not only whispers in my ear excuses to stay at home, but he also tells me I can’t do it. I don’t listen, I go to the gym and I give it a shot, trying to push my limits. Action and perspiration speak much louder than the little devil of self-doubt. Doing things makes us more confident, more eager to expand the comfort zone of our present self and become the best we can be .

Action and perspiration speak much louder than the little devil of self-doubt.

4. It boosts your immune system

Exercising enhances our heart’s ability to pump blood throughout the body. It makes our lungs better at handling oxygen for our body and brain. Our immune system becomes stronger and more efficient in the fight against harmful bacteria and viruses. Check who doesn’t fall ill when winter comes. The correlation will be clear: people who exercise get less sick.

5. It encourages you to eat healthy

When the little devil wins, you generally end up on the sofa eating junk food in front of a TV series (by the way, we think you should smash your TV). When you work out, things get different. You become more health conscious. You don’t want to undo the good you’ve just done. You build up on the effort you just made and eat well: here goes the win-win!

6. It gives you a good night’s sleep

I used to suffer from insomnia. I found the remedy to sleepless nights in the gym. That’s one of the reasons why I drag myself there no matter how busy I am. It feels so good to rest when you’re tired. Few things beat the feeling of going to bed after a good shower when your body is nicely exhausted from the workout you just did. When I push my body, I know that a sound and rewarding sleep is waiting for me at night – I sleep like a baby.

It feels so good to rest when you’re tired. Few things beat the feeling of going to bed after a good shower when your body is nicely exhausted from the workout you just did.

7. It soothes your overworked mind

There is not so much thinking needed in the gym. It’s more about simply unleashing your physical power. This brings balance in your life: we tend to be over-involved in mental / intellectual activities and don’t build the time required to refresh our mind, think better and build up other atrophied aspects of our holistic self.

8. It makes you fit

Well, this one goes without saying: regular exercise makes you stronger and increase your stamina. It also burns fat and makes you leaner. Observing first-hand these positive impacts on your body can become a big motivation to stick to your training regime. It feels so good to realize that you actually have the power to choose what you look like!

9. It saves you money

Most of the times, one has to pay a fee or a subscription to enter the gym, true. That’s only one side of the equation though. Exercising regularly makes you healthier and less prone to getting sick. Over the years, it’s a lot of savings on the doctor / medication front. Why do you think many insurance companies offer discounts or even full reimbursement for gym memberships? Simply because the benefits outweigh the costs.

10. It makes you hot!

Regular exercise detoxifies our body from within. It makes our skin healthier and our muscles more defined. You breathe better, think clearer and are more confident. That makes you hot!

The barbells and plates in the gym might be heavy to lift; but the heaviest weight on our way to achieving our goals in life is none other than our own inertia! When we can overcome it and ingrain the positive habit of sticking to our workout regime day in, day out, the benefits are so overwhelming that those nasty kettlebells soon start to feel lighter and lighter. So you got it: no excuses – don’t think twice, just go… What are you still doing here?