There are a ton of reasons to make exercise a daily endeavor that have nothing to do with ‘the perfect body’ or sizing down your skinny jeans. But when results seemingly take forever to notice, it can take its toll on your motivation.


In fact, many fitness experts say you’ll start to feel the results of your workout program within 2 weeks. You’llstart to see results in 4 weeks. Your friends and family will start to see your results in 8 weeks and after 12 weeks of smashing it at the gym, the rest of the world will notice it.


The point is, you may be working out religiously and sticking to your healthy eating plan, but results may not be visible juuust yet.


Remember, it is a marathon and not a sprint.


So, when your drive to hit the gym is slowing, and the that chocolate milkshake is calling, keep these 7 reasons in mind to power you through the ebbs and flows of motivation.


1. It’ll give you some much needed ‘me’ time: We’re gonna go ahead and argue a time out is NOT a bad thing and a killer cardio sesh, group fitness class or a soak in the steam room is an essential piece of the self-care puzzle.

 looking at fit bit for runing


2. It’ll connect you to your community: Exercise is a great way to meet new people and find a place of belonging – whether you’re new to the area or you’ve lived there all your life. Group fitness classes, boot camps or just a friendly chat in the weight room are all great ways to connect with like-minded, people with common goals.


3. It’ll give you more energy: You might think that morning meetup with your trainer will wear you out and leave you dreaming of your jammies, but research from The University of Georgia found the opposite. Exercise will boost your energy levels leaving you ready to take on the rest of your day.


4. It’ll help you sleep better: Wait a sec…didn’t we just say it’ll boost your energy levels? Yes, we did, and it will. But it will also help you burn off any extra energy that leaves you feeling restless in bed. Experiment with when and how hard you push it to find the perfect balance between energy increaser and sleep inducer.

 sleepig with pug


5. It’ll put you in a better mood: Anyone craving a large plate of endorphins? Just hit the gym and instantly they’ll flood your brain and produce that feel good effect for hours to come. Plus, nothing beats that feeling of accomplishment after a good sweat sesh.


6. It’ll boost your brain power: Research from Harvard Medical School has shown exercise will help you stay focused on tasks for longer and improve memory. It’s also shown people who work out regularly have greater volume in the prefrontal cortex and medial temporal cortex. These are the parts of the brain that control thinking and memory. Now doesn’t hitting the gym sound like a no-brainer?


7. It’ll help prevent disease: Maintaining a healthy body is key to preventing diseases like diabetes, cancer, and heart disease to name a few. Not only does exercise help you keep weight from piling on, it keeps your heart pumping properly, your organs optimally functioning, and your muscles and bones strong. Exercise is medicine and that can go on the top of anyone’s list of reasons to work out.


In-Shape pro tip: While physical change may take longer to notice, try to focus on the bigger picture and how exercise affects you from the inside out. Keep it up!