Take a quick second and ask yourself, if exercise had no effect on your appearance would you still do it? If exercise had no effect on your weight, muscle tone, or appearance, would you still make time for it in your routine? It is important to establish a healthy relationship with exercise that is rooted in appreciation for your body, not hatred.
One way to do that is to focus on all the benefits of exercise that have nothing to do with calories!
According to the CDC, some of the benefits of being physically active include:
- Reduced risk of anxiety.
- Reduced risk of depression.
- Improved bone health.
- Improved sleep quality.
- Reduced blood pressure.
- Reduced risk of chronic diseases such as dementia, heart disease, stroke, and Type 2 diabetes.
- Reduced risk of 8 different cancers (bladder, breast, colon, endometrium, esophagus, kidney, lung, and stomach.)
There are so many kinds of movement and exercises that the options are endless. Something is always better than nothing when it comes to movement. Especially when we are all stuck in the house all day it can be so easy to forget to move in the day. Choose a form of movement that energizes you, makes you feel good, and is enjoyable to you!
Are you interested in body positive exercise and movement? Do you want to focus on having fun and maybe even breaking a sweat in the process? Do you want to learn how to incorporate movement in your life without focusing on calories?
Love Your Body Week is a university initiative taking place from February 21st -28th and there are so many movement focused events you can attend online! These events focus on the joy of movement and getting in touch with your body.
- Sunday, February 21st 7-8 pm – Yoga for Everybody
- Wednesday, February 24th and Thursday, February 25th 5-5:45 pm – Breath Strong (meditation)
- Thursday, February 25th 5-7 pm – Find What Moves You
- Thursday, February 25th 6-7 pm – Radically Restorative (yoga)
- Friday, February 26th 12-1 pm – Zumba for YOU
Learn more about these events and the many others taking place on our Love Your Body Week 2021 website. All OSU students, faculty, and staff are invited to participate. You can sign up for Love Your Body Week events using our Love Your Body Week – RSVP Form (qualtrics.com). Come join us and take some time to thank your body for all it allows you to do every day.
Tali Spira, 4th year
Major – Human Nutrition