Do you want to get fit and healthy but are too lazy to get off the couch? Fitness is an essential component in anyone’s health and wellbeing. If you do not put in the work, you are likely to develop and contract various diseases and infections that can cause you so much pain and discomfort for a long time. For your body’s sake, you should understand how important exercise is, and start being more active as soon as possible.

The following are facts about working out and exercising that should help push you to get started now:

1. Regular exercise can help eliminate symptoms of depression and anxiety.

If you are often feeling some negative vibe building up inside of you and eating you up, preventing you from performing simple day-to-day tasks efficiently, you should seriously consider exercising. According to a study, getting into a regular exercise routine can alleviate the symptoms of depression and anxiety. You can start by walking, jogging, or cycling for half an hour every other day to keep your body working and improve your mood.

2. Exercise can increase libido.

Sometimes, things happen in life that cause a decrease in one’s sexual desire or libido. They can be stress at work or in school, relationship problems, family conflicts, or some medical condition. If you notice a decline in your libido or start losing interest in sex, you should do something about it right away — by exercising daily to repair your impaired sexual arousal.

3. Working out on a regular basis can lower bad cholesterol and increase good cholesterol in the body.

Keeping your body’s cholesterol levels in check is crucial in the prevention of high blood pressure and other heart disease. A study found that there is a direct relationship that exists between the body’s cholesterol levels and coronary heart disease. According to it, the lower the amount of total cholesterol there is in the body, the lower the risk of developing heart and cardiovascular problems. Therefore, you should start living a healthy lifestyle, by eating more foods rich in good cholesterol and exercising regularly.

4. Strength training exercises can build strong bones and prevent osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis is a medical condition in which the bones become weak and prone to breaking. It usually occurs in the spine, wrist, and hip, and is common in older adults. To prevent it from affecting you, you should get into the habit of exercising early on in your life to facilitate the growth and development of stronger bones. A few times a week, you can partake in weight-bearing exercises like walking, dancing, and jogging, so that you can reduce your odds of getting bone injuries and other bone problems.

5. People with a regular exercise routine have higher vitamin D levels in the body.

Vitamin D is an essential nutrient that promotes the absorption of phosphate, magnesium, and calcium by the body. It comes from the sun and a wide variety of foods, such as cheese, salmon, tuna, and soy milk, and is very beneficial to the human body. If you like to exercise outdoors, you can bask in the sun and give yourself enough vitamin D to enjoy the many benefits it can offer. With sufficient vitamin D levels in your body, you can keep your teeth and bones healthy, strengthen your nervous and immune system, manage your glucose levels, and improve your cardiovascular and respiratory health.

6. High intensity cardio training can help in burning fat and losing weight.

Dealing with excess weight can be quite problematic. It not only makes finding clothes that fit you right hard, it also increases your risk of a wide array of diseases and complications. If you are overweight, your odds of suffering from diabetes, heart attack, and other health problems become higher. You will also struggle with performing simple physical tasks, get breathless real easily, and feel pain and discomfort even if you are just standing or barely moving at all. With exercise, along with a healthy and balanced diet plan, you can get rid of those extra pounds, and start living a life with low risk of illnesses.

7. Exercising can promote better balance and agility in seniors.

As you get older, you become more prone to injuries. Because your body is not as quick as when you were younger, the likelihood of you tripping or slipping is higher. Your brain takes longer to react to obstacles, and you, most often than not, end up hurting yourself. But, if you exercise regularly, you can enhance your sense of balance and be more agile to boost your reaction time for injury prevention.

8. More physical activity leads to a healthier immune system.

Many studies have found that people who have at least a moderately active lifestyle are less predisposed to diseases than those that live a sedentary lifestyle. Even for only a few times a week, you can spend 20 to 30 minutes of your day doing simple workout programs, like walking around the block, bicycling to and from the nearby supermarket, or playing sports with your local community team, and develop stronger resistance against virus, bacteria, and other pathogens that can bring serious harm and damage to your vital organs.

9. Being active boosts memory and brain functions in older adults.

If you exercise frequently, you can stimulate your brain to produce chemicals that have positive effects on the blood vessels, cells, and tissues in and around it. As a result, you can think, remember, and process information more efficiently. In addition, because your brain is relaxed and in good condition, you can enjoy better quality sleep and mood, allowing you to live your life free of anxiety, stress, and impaired cognitive functions.

10. Being fit makes you live longer.

Because working out lowers your risk of diseases, your chances of living a longer life increase. According to a study, those who exercise for about an hour everyday have a 40% less chance of dying young than people who are only physically active for a total of 30 minutes or less in a week.