Exercise Your Way to Better Blogging

It seems to me that you can hardly go one day without hearing health related news. There are new miracle pills developed on a seemingly daily basis, medical reports are published frequently debunking some previous health myth, and it seems as though half of all TV commercials deal with some aspect of health. There’s no way around it; health is important and it’s everywhere!

I lead a pretty busy life – there’s grad school, there’s my wife, then there’s my job. Oh yeah, and don’t forget about my side businesses online like my blog and other e-business websites. My days are packed tight and my schedule is full from the time I wake up until the time I go to bed. After examining my lifestyle and my schedule, I’ve often tried to streamline my life so that I’m not doing anything that is not productive. I’ve tried to replace the junk with the more fruitful things in life but no matter how I tried and no matter how I rearranged my schedule I always managed to leave in time for exercise. Be it going to the gym in the winter or going for a run/jog/walk when it’s nice outside, exercise is the key to help me keep a good mental attitude and physical condition. If the saying “you are what you eat” is true, I find that “you are what you do” is just as relevant.

Regardless of how my day is going, I always feel a little better after exercising. After working out, I feel better about myself, my situations, and know that I’ve made progress with whatever is on my mind because I have just spent time passively and actively thinking about whatever that may be. Exercise is a great stress reliever, self-esteem builder, and motivator. Whenever I work out, I always work better and write better afterwards. I work more efficiently, my blog posts are better and more articulate, and my school work gets done more efficiently.

The list below represents my top 5 reasons to work out and exercise regularly. Not only do these reasons motivate me, but they give me a much needed break from life and provide me with some “alone” time to think about and organize the rest of my tasks.

1. Exercise improves my mood. After a busy day of work and classes, when I go to the gym for a workout I feel my mood change for the better. By the time I’m done, I have more energy and motivation to do whatever else needs to be done that day.
2. Exercise helps me to organize the rest of my tasks. Regardless of where I exercise, I’m able to think about the tasks that I need to get done the rest of the day. A hectic schedule sometimes doesn’t afford me time to think, so exercise is my thought outlet.
3. Exercise relieves stress. After a particularly challenging day, I look forward to going to the gym for a nice work out. Lifting weights and jogging on the treadmill help me to relieve the stresses of the day and I leave the gym feeling like a new person.
4. Exercise helps me sleep better. This cannot be understated or under rated. Sleeping well is key to feeling good the next day. Waking up after a good night’s sleep is a great feeling and exercising can help you achieve that kind of sleep regularly!
5. Exercise is fun! I know this is cliché, but exercise IS fun!I like exercising. It’s fun and I enjoy it quite a bit. I think you can find enjoyment out of exercise too, especially after looking at how much your habits and productivity has changed after working out for a while. Group exercise classes and other social aspects of a gym can be quite entertaining. You can have fun while working out!

Balance is the key to life. No matter if you work 3 jobs or are retired, there must be balance in your life. I find that exercise is a great equalizer in my life and helps me to balance out my thoughts, stresses, and plans. If you already exercise, keep it up! If you don’t exercise regularly, I dare you to find a gym and start going. You’ll thank me for it later.

Nick is a 20-something full time grad student and full time IT guy. Specializing in Information Architecture, he often dabbles in online projects. His latest project, a blog at http://www.learnhow2earn.com, is a blog that details his online money making experiences. Like what he has to say? Check him out and drop a comment!