There’s no question that regular exercise is one of the best things you can do for your overall health and well-being. Besides strengthening your muscles and heart, exercise boosts your mood and elevates your energy levels.
All these factors working together can fuel a host of positive changes.
To that end, let’s break down the top benefits of going to the gym.
Physical Benefits
A habit of regular exercise has been found to help with a number of physical factors, including:
- Cardiovascular health – Studies show that regular exercise prevents cardiovascular disease, and is an excellent therapeutic measure for people already suffering from heart disease.
- Muscle strength – Working against resistance triggers muscle growth and increases strength. As people grow older, they naturally lose muscle mass—regular exercise helps slow this process.
- Overall flexibility – A complete fitness program will consistently put the body through its full range of motion. This causes the muscles to stretch, which helps make it easier to move freely and promotes joint health.
Weight management – Exercise is by far the best way to maintain your weight. This is because regular workouts raise your metabolic rate, which may help you burn more calories and stay at optimal body mass.
Disease Prevention
Going to the gym may also help prevent chronic illness, especially:
- Type 2 diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Coronary heart disease
- Arthritis
- Cancer
- Depression
Types of Exercise
To experience the full range of physical benefits of going to the gym, you’ll want to follow a well-rounded exercise program.
There are three main workout types to include in your regimen:
- Resistance training – Resistance training involves targeted exercises meant to overload a particular muscle group. Examples include working with free weights, using machines, or bodyweight exercises like pushups and lunges.
- Aerobic exercise (cardio) – This can refer to any activity that elevates your heart rate, activates multiple muscle groups, and forces your body to use extra oxygen. Importantly, aerobic exercise enhances circulation and helps lower blood pressure. Examples include running on the treadmill, riding the stationary bike, and jumping rope.
- Flexibility training – Flexibility training supports your musculoskeletal health. This helps prevent muscle strains and lays the foundation for you to safely perform aerobic and resistance exercises. Flexibility training also improves balance, which can become an issue as people age. Examples include yoga, stretching, and Tai chi.
You should aim to get at least 150 minutes of cardio per week and perform resistance training at least two days a week. You can perform flexibility routines daily.
Mental Benefits
When you work out, your body produces endorphins, which help your brain block pain signals. In fact, endorphins can improve mental health by contributing to:
- Greater happiness – Studies have shown that exercise can increase your brain’s sensitivity to serotonin and norepinephrine, two hormones associated with positive feelings. These hormones may even relieve depression.
- Lower stress – Elevated endorphin levels reduce stress and anxiety. Exercise also contributes to improved sleep quality, which is an important factor in stress management.
- Higher self-esteem – Endorphins may spark a sense of confidence. Physical improvements from regularly working out, such as increased muscle mass, can also contribute to an improved self-image.
Social Benefits
One of the strongest predictors of overall life satisfaction is quality social connections. How does this relate to going to the gym?
Ultimately, becoming a regular gymgoer puts you in a prime position to:
- Make new friends
- Be part of an encouraging community
- Enroll in group fitness classes
- Find workout partners to increase accountability
Besides enhancing your quality of life, social support can also help make your exercise time more enjoyable. This, in turn, makes it easier to stick to a workout plan and stay motivated.
How to Maximize Your Gym Time
So, you’ve decided to make the gym a part of your routine. Congrats! That’s a huge step!
As you start out, keep these helpful tips in mind to ensure you have the best experience possible:
- Set reasonable goals – When beginning any workout plan, you’ll want to set some initial goals to track your progress. Start with achievable targets and work your way up from there. For example, you might aim to build muscle or exercise ‘X’ number of times per week.
- Experiment – There are literally hundreds of different workouts to choose from. Test out different routines and exercises to find what works best for you. For example, you might try dumbbells one week and resistance machines the next.
- Ask for advice – Gym staff members are often fitness enthusiasts, so feel free to ask for guidance. Most will be happy to share what’s worked for them and point you in the right direction.
Become a Regular Gym-Goer at Chuze Fitness
Once you make exercise a part of your life, you’ll never want to stop. After all, nothing feels better than becoming your best self—and the gym is fuel for that journey.
At Chuze Fitness, we strive to deliver the total gym package: everything you need for strength, cardio, and flexibility, plus knowledgeable and compassionate team members and amenities that make recovery a breeze.
Become a member today to experience the Chuze difference for yourself.
Sources:
National Library of Medicine. Effects of Exercise to Improve Cardiovascular Health.
American Heart Association. Flexibility Exercise (stretching). https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/fitness/fitness-basics/flexibility-exercise-stretching#:~:text=Many%20different%20types%20of%20exercise,also%20help%20improve%20your%20balance.
Johns Hopkins Medicine. 3 Kinds of Exercise That Boost Heart Health.
World Health Organization. Physical activity. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/physical-activity
National Library of Medicine. The Effects of Acute Exercise on Mood, Cognition, Neurophysiology, and Neurochemical Pathways: A Review. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5928534/
Harvard Medicine. The Good Life. https://magazine.hms.harvard.edu/articles/good-life
Mayo Clinic. Exercise and Chronic Disease: Get the facts. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/exercise-and-chronic-disease/art-20046049#:~:text=Diabetes.,ease%20pain%20or%20build%20strength.
Reviewed By:
Ani is the Vice President of Fitness at Chuze Fitness and oversees the group fitness and team training departments. She’s had a 25+ year career in club management, personal training, group exercise and instructor training. Ani lives with her husband and son in San Diego, CA and loves hot yoga, snowboarding and all things wellness.
