The dreaded alarm clock lets you know the weekend is over. Time to get up and get moving.
Often, it’s hard enough to get out the door on Monday morning, much less to the gym. But working out on Monday will be one of the healthiest choices you make all week.
If early rising isn’t your thing, throw some clothes in your gym bag and get a half hour of exercise at lunch or right after work. Make it a non-negotiable on your calendar so that you’re not giving yourself the option to decide if you are going to work out. You are. Keep moving!
Along with the numerous health benefits of physical fitness, here are three important reasons you should be working out on Monday:
- It’s the simplest way to fight off the blues. Studies show that exercise is one of the best ways to combat depression. The endorphins it releases in your brain help you feel happy and hopeful. Who doesn’t want that? Working out has also been proven to reduce stress, improve sleep, and boost your self-esteem. You can run, swim, practice yoga, or perform any type of moderate exercise to reap these benefits. Once you get used to the positive vibes, you’ll make Monday workouts an essential part of your routine.
- It’s a prime time to start new habits. There’s a reason why New Year's resolutions are so popular. January 1 is a built-in reset button. Also, events like birthdays, season changes and important milestones offer powerful mental catalysts—separating the past from the possibilities ahead. Good news: we have a new beginning in our lives every week. It’s called Monday. Take advantage of it!
- It sets the trajectory of your week. How do you want the week to go? Do you hope to be productive, positive, confident? Then get those muscles moving. Your choices on Monday set a mental and emotional tone for the days that follow. If you don’t get momentum on Monday, come Friday, you will wish you had. So do yourself a favor, and start Monday off right. You’ll reap the rewards throughout the week.
One last word of wisdom: don’t wait until the magic Monday that you feel like working out. You might be waiting forever. Make a healthy choice right now. Pick a group exercise class, grab a friend for a partner workout, or do these 10 moves for total body fitness. Big changes are made up of many small steps in the same direction.
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