According to Merriam Webster's dictionary definition working out is " a practice or exercise to test or improve one's fitness for athletic competition, ability, or performance." I define working out as any physical activity such as walking, running, hiking, dancing, playing football, doing yoga, and many many more. Working out is as essential to one's well being then eating healthy is.
Working out has several purposes including staying fit, loosing weight, building muscle, improving cardiovascular health, boosting endurance, delivering oxygen and nutrients to your tissues, improving one's life span, and more. Some people say, "I am skinny so I do not need to workout," but being skinny does not necessarily mean you are healthy.
According to experts at Harvard Health, exercising is the best medicine. They say that "exercise maybe the key to why some people not only survive but also thrive in later life." They say that as one gets older cell damage accumalates, your metabolism gets slower, you gain fat, and you loose muscle mass which in turn makes you vulnerable to disease but if you workout you can offset this process.
One can disagree with these statements, but no Doctor will ever tell you that working out has any harm to your health but rather it has several benefits to your health. Whether you are two, twenty two, fifty two, or eighty two working out is essential to living a healthy lifestyle.
I agree with you completely that working out is a critical factor of a healthy lifestyle. For me personally, when I don't work out on a consistent basis, I notice myself struggling physically and also mentally. I am unaware of the specific science behind it but when I workout in the morning it helps me maintain focus throughout the day and makes more energetic which I think to be a little counterintuitive. If everyone worked out at least once a day I think people would be a lot happier overall.
I enjoy working out and feel much better during weeks where I am able to work out multiple times compared to weeks where I don't work out a lot. I think for me personally, working out and getting exercise is important for me to feel good throughout the day because whenever I don't exercise, I feel sluggish and tired. Additionally, working out should be fun because there are so many different types of exercises to do. I think it is important for individuals and society to focus on exercising for health benefits rather than doing it "to look better".
I've recently seen a trend of people in the body positive movement criticizing people who work out for being "fatphobic" because they care about their bodies. The truth is, no matter one's size, you need to engage your body to be mentally and physically happy. Most people I know who work out do it because they enjoy it, not just to lose weight. And that is the real goal of personal fitness.
I think a common misconception about "working out" is that it involves long runs on the treadmill, heavy weights, and squats. The reality is being active also involves walking, dancing, and even stretching. I think framing exercise as a chore makes people intimidated to start, when in reality some exercises are so fun! For me, I do not like lifting heavy weights or running on a treadmill, but I love to dance, do yoga, and stretch. SO because of this, I do pilates and yoga. I always feel better after I've been more active, and I think each unique person should try to be active in a way that's fun for them so as to boost their overall wellness.
Keeping active and working out is truly so important. It helps you live a longer healthier life, keeps your bones stronger, and makes you feel better over all. Working out releases endorphins that increase your mood and dramatically improve your mental health. Living a dormant lifestyle is so horrible for your health, it crucial that we all keep moving.