Having that six pack, or fitting into those cute shorts is always in the back of our minds as we sweat our way through the gym and end our day with a salad, but I’m here to talk about some of the non-visual benefits & reasons to take better care of yourself. 

1. More Energy

It seems ironic that the harder you work yourself the more energy you have- but its true! Even waking up a bit earlier to get your workout in will leave you less lethargic throughout the day than if you hadn’t. Getting the blood flowing with that workout helps supply more oxygen and nutrients to the muscles and brain giving your body the boost it needs.

2. Better sleep.

That being said you generally sleep better as well. Once you hit the sack your body has sufficiently used up its energy stores and is ready for recovery mode. As long as you’ve given it what it needs to recover well, haven’t had too much sugar or caffeine, your mind will silence and allow your body to renew for another invigorating day! For optimum recovery give yourself 6-8 hours of sleep time/day.

3. Soft, glowing skin.

My skin is a radar detector for processed sugar. When I start to see little red bumps or a couple white heads forming on my face I know that I’ve been eating too much sugar. On the flip side, getting proper nutrients, staying hydrated and sweating out toxins helps diminish acne and even dark circles under the eyes.

4. Improved Digestion.

Our digestion can take the biggest toll when we don’t take care of ourselves. Not only does the average American not get enough fiber which is a big component of digestion and keeping regular bowels, but when you couple that with no movement it can really stack things up. Literally. Working the abdominal muscles and putting pressure on different organs through exercise actually helps them detox and perform their function better. It helps the intestines push food along and wakes up the bowels to empty. 

5. Healthy Teeth and Gums.

The biggest reason your parents never let you have candy as a child was that it was going to rot your teeth out…well that hasn’t changed. Tooth and gum health greatly relies on your nutrient intake and absorption. Too much sugar can lead to tooth decay and lack of calcium (absorption) results in less restructuring of the teeth. Absorption of calcium has multiple factors involved like the quantity and sources of vitamin D, but on the whole if your diet has a base of whole, unprocessed foods (not necessarily including dairy) and you try to get some sunshine almost every day it can greatly increase your tooth and gum health. 

6. Workout Recovery

If every day you bust butt in the gym for an hour maybe two, but you haven’t drank enough water, your dinner consists of Doritos, a soda and a fast food hamburger you may not be seeing the strength or physical changes you want. Working out is only half the equation, not even half. Your muscles need nutrients to repair the damage done through the workout, and they need water to help deliver these nutrients as well as keep the fibers flexible and functioning. The more hydrated you are and the more quality foods you ingest, the faster and STRONGER your body will recover.

7. Increased sex drive.

Now this may not be a hot topic for a lot of people, but it’s a proven fact that the less healthy you are, generally the less of a sex drive you have. This could be linked to all sorts of mental things like lack of confidence or disappointment in ones self- but the reality of it is that it comes down to health. So regardless of the base of the reason, just to begin a health regimen can increase your self worth by knowing your putting efforts to become better. The healthier you become the greater your confidence and the more willing you are to become intimate with someone. 

8. Because you LOVE yourself.

The bottom line of your health and fitness journey is that it should be about YOU. You have one body to live this whole life with and even on the best days we beat it up pretty good. We should WANT to take care of ourselves so that we’re able to feel our best on a daily basis. We should crave that feeling of health JUST to feel healthy regardless of any outward, surface benefits like looking good naked (although those are great too lets admit). Just fall in love with taking care of yourself.