Although weight loss is what motivates many people to begin to exercise and eat right, there are so many other benefits of healthy living!
Lowering cholesterol, lowering blood pressure, preventing diabetes, boosting energy, improving mood, preventing cancer, boosting the immune system, preventing osteoporosis and keeping the brain sharp are just some of the known benefits.
Let us know what benefits you've personally experienced. Click on "comments" and then tell us your story.
Another great benefit is being able to fit into your clothes comfortably! Before I started bootcamp there were several beautiful outfits in my closet that I no longer fit properly... now everything fits and I don't have to divide the closet into "too tight" and "just right"! Thank you AAY!!!
ReplyDelete- Kelly
Having two kids in two years my body went through a lot in a short period of time. After four months I feel better than I have ever felt. Mind body and soul I know its cheesy but its true. I also have so much energy throughout the day more than I can ever remember. With two kids and a full time job I need it. I have never done anything that I keeps me is interested. Working out is never fun so they say but since you do something different each week sometime each day you look forward to it.
ReplyDeleteThanks ladies!
Love Tamar
I have been coming to AAY bootcamp daily for a little over a month now and can say that the benefits have definitely been physical and emotional. Physically my body is much more toned and stronger than when I started. My clothes fit well again, yay! I also feel more confident with myself just knowing that I can really commit to exercise and healthier eating habits. And on a final note, I feel happier and life's stressers don't seem phase me as much. Thanks Elaine and Nar!
ReplyDeleteJane
The benefits are much easier to access externally. But the internal benefits can be dramatic-
ReplyDeleteA year ago I had a complete physical and was alarmed to learn from my Doctor that I was "pre-diabetic". I have a family history of the disease but like most people NEVER thought I would fall into that category. I had always exercised, thought I ate healthy and knew a lot about nutrition. I was very freaked out.
This last year with Elaine and Nar's help and guidance, I completely change my eating habits and added even more exercise to my routine. Three days a week obviously was not enough.
A return visit last month and battery of test later the news from my Doctor was astoundingly dramatic - I am no longer pre-diabetic, my cholesterol dropped 14 points, my blood pressure is great, my knees don't hurt (he was also very happy to see the weight loss of 20 pounds). I also find I am able to handle the stress and anxiety in my life so much more gracefully and my mood swings have dissipated.
Thank You Elaine and Nar!!
Losing a significant amount of weight and keeping it off for the last 4 1/2 years is one of the greatest accomplishments of my life. However, fitting into a certain size pant was not the only reason I wanted to lose weight. There were so many things I wanted to do, but felt discouraged because of my weight.
ReplyDeleteMy initial goal was to run a mile in 10 minutes, it used to take me almost 30 minutes. Now I have run 5k, 10k, and half-marathons doing 10-12 minute miles, and have aspirations of doing a full marathon next year. Working out and living a healthy lifestyle has motivated me to take on new challenges that I never dreamed imaginable.
My weight loss and commitment to keeping the weight off has not only benefitted my health, but has also inpsired my family and friends to live healthier lives too. I never intended on being an "inspiration" for anyone else, but if my lifestyle positively motivates others to do it than it makes it even more worthwhile. I can't tell you enough just how much living a healthy lifestyle has changed my life for the better! =)
These are the ways I benefit from exercise:
ReplyDelete1. Exercising is just a lot of fun, which I consider the most beneficial. I love being with others who have the same goals as I.
2. Exercise increases my energy level, necessary to do all the wonderful things left to do in my life.
3. Weight management is something I've had to fight my whole life. My family loves to eat and we're all big people. Exercise helps me to keep my weight manageable.
4. Muscle tone is something I've been trying to improve for the last 25 years. I can only imagine how bad my skin would hang if I didn't exercise.
5. Exercise helps to ward off illnesses or helps to get well faster. I'm rarely sick for any length of period.
6. Exercise can help you to remain calm in certain situations. It's supposed to increase ones mental awareness and keep the brain sharp well into the later years. Oh wait...I am in my later years!
7. Increased strength is necessary in my situation. I have to carry all my groceries and any other items up three flights of stairs. I want to be able to be self-sufficient well into my eighties, if possible.
8. Increased stamina is needed for hiking, skiing, biking, swimming, etc. as for all other things we may want to do. I credit your classes with giving me the ability to complete an eleven-mile bike ride, a 500 meter swim and a 5K WITHOUT any training. Thank you for a terrific workout.
Sandy Gitmed
Many times I'm tired, in a lot of pain, and just too lazy to show up for class. But I pull myself up, drag myself to class and am never sorry I came.
AND A SPECIAL NOTE FROM NAR & ELAINE: Sandy Gitmed is not only our oldest BootCamp member, she is often in severe pain while exercising and you would never know it! She always has a smile on her face and a joke on the tip of her tongue! Not only that, she often outruns or outwalks or outlifts or outlasts other members who are 40, or even 50, years younger than she is! We both look to her for inspiration!
Weighing in (pardon the pun) as late as I am, I get the benefit of reading what everyone else wrote about the benefits they’ve experienced, and I agree with and share most of them.
ReplyDeleteSo I’ll try to describe some others.
How much of a slacker will I be labeled if I admit that one of the biggest and most surprising benefits I’ve experienced as a result of attending BootCamp for two years now is better SLEEP?
Granted, the many improvements in the waking hours of my life are dramatic, but given my
wacky travel schedule, erratic work hours and generally lame stress management, my sleeping habits have been less than relaxing/refreshing for as long as I can remember.
No more.
After a solid hour or 90-min. workout, I’m out like a light at night. That is, if I can make it to the night without trying to squeeze in a nap!
Another huge benefit I think I can connect directly to the BootCamp program is an improved sense of SAFETY in my work and daily life. My production work requires a lot of travel, rushing to and from airports, working in unfamiliar spaces, amidst a lot of staging, cables, stairs, road cases,
overlaid with what seems like an incessant layer of time constraints and stress.
Treacherous for someone not in good physical shape and sleep deprived to boot. But thanks to the various balance and 3-D/plyometric exercises, I feel very confident walking into any new venue/environment ready to dodge any errant piece of truss or other land mine in my way.
As a lifelong non-athlete, I have newfound appreciation for individual and team SPORTS now. Not that you’ll find me glued to ESPN anytime soon, but being exposed to the rudiments of running, soccer, football, basketball, frisbee and the other activities, and trying them on for size myself, has been a gas. (As has been seeing some fellow classmates show their true colors under the harsh light of an early-morning competition.) Regular exercise has also significantly increased my stamina for the biking, hiking and yoga I enjoy outside the gym. Last year I was even able to use a trapeze class gift certificate I'd been sitting on for a few years, and I was able to release and be "caught!"
Finally – and this has already been mentioned in various ways – exercise and good nutrition impacts just how deeply and intensely I participate in life now. And given that I’m probably more than halfway through it at this age, that’s a real gift for which I’m deeply grateful. Thanks, ladies!
Shawn
I work in a helping profession. But until I helped myself through diet and exercise I wasn't able to perform with my optimum abilities or to contribute my absolute best to my clients and community.
ReplyDeleteIn 2002, my doctor said I needed to meet with a nutritionist because my cholesterol levels were unhealthily high. Before then, I'd joked with friends that they'd never catch me running unless it was after an ice-cream truck or back up for thirds at a buffet; still, I knew blood tests didn't lie and that I needed to make some changes.
When I went for my first jog with grad-school classmates it felt unnatural. I kept at it because jogging through Balboa Park in San Diego not only increased oxygen to my brain, (which aids in memory function, reduces anxiety and increases energy) but provided me with access to cultural activities and a new social network. Exercise made me feel empowered-- I had control over my internal world. Working out gave me a steady flow of endorphins and a more consistent sense of well-being. That year, I completed my first Camp Pendleton Mudrun, an invigorating 10K obstacle course through mud-pits, over bales of hay and through blasting fire hoses and I loved every second of it.
After moving to Los Angles in 2003, jogging remained part of my routine. My tri-weekly jogs continued to provide me with 45-minute 'worry-free zones', or periods of time where I noticed I could more efficiently think of solutions to work problems, and without anxiety, organize my household 'to-do list'. With a clearer head, a slimmer waistline, healthy cholesterol levels and more energy, I worked more efficiently at the office. I suddenly had time to learn to love to hike and to bike and to ponder additional ways I could compliment my healthier life-style. I realized the missing element was nutrition.
I have learned to reshape my morning rituals to target fatigue and negative feelings and to appropriately select foods based on my moods and cyclical needs through interpreting cravings and urges. I learned how to alter the ways I respond to stress, by having contingency plans that involve blends of foods, spices and meditation. I've learned how to select, prepare and enjoy a variety of whole-grains, fruits and vegetables. Every week I have the fun challenge of buying and trying a new vegetable. Have you ever cooked with cacti, turnips, fava-beans, kale, chard, pluots, beets, or radishes? I have! I've never felt so confident and in control of my body (or my kitchen)!
I could continue to rave about the countless positive changes I've made since integrating exercise and healthy nutrition into my life, but the truth is, I ran the Disney Land Half Marathon yesterday in one hour and fifty two minutes and I know a good night's sleep is necessary for my cells to make the protein needed to repair my muscles' tissues, so I best head off to bed. But, if you go to Nar and Elaine's bootcamp tomorrow, you'll see me there; just don't forget your water and to eat a few carbs and proteins before class!
Elissa D.
In many ways, our outer world reflects our inner world. When I tend to my inner world with exercise and nutrition, my outer world is transformed, even if just through my perception of it. When I'm regularly exercising and eating good portions of healthy food, my mind is sharper, my stress level is far lower, and my energy level is much higher!
ReplyDeleteIt certainly is a goal of mine to lose and keep off excess weight from fat, but far more important is my image of myself and the world around me. After a good workout, regardless of whether there is any perceivable difference in my body, I feel great! After sweating it out for an hour or so, the whole world is more vibrant and the realm of possibilities expands!
In these times of uneasiness and negativity from the media about issues which seem so out of our control as individuals, to dig into my own world and affect change in my own life is empowering. I feel alive!