The older I get, the more I appreciate exercise.

It’s amazing. Fantastic. A cure to a lot of what probably ails us all. Something I need and crave.

I’ve been having what one might call a rough week. A ton of little frustrating things happened one after another. Then came the biggies – I was laid off my full time job and a family member ended up in the hospital. A lot of things like that can ruin your week and make you feel pretty down about life. All within a short span of time. It left me feeling adrift and scared and just downtrodden.

Since I was feeling down I decided to do something that was guaranteed to make me feel better. I forced myself to gear up and head to the gym for a sweat session.

Sweaty and tired!

I knocked out a good cardio session on the elliptical and bike and then did some upper body weights. It’s been a while since I lifted so it was hard but fun. Afterwards I felt a million times better! My perspective was fresh and happy – more time to exercise, more time to do good for others, hospitals take good care of people, etc. While exercising doesn’t necessarily fix anything, it does help you feel better and more able to handle the situations at hand.

If you’re feeling down, or having a bad day, go exercise. Try any of these things:

• Go for a walk.
• Ride your bike.
• Take a class at the gym.
• Lift weights.
• Do a Zumba workout online.
• Run around the block.
• Do jumping jacks and bodyweight exercises.

I promise that no matter what exercise you choose, afterwards you will feel a lot better than when you started.

Exercise has a ton of great benefits including:

• Reduced stress levels.
• Increased endorphins (happy chemicals).
• Improved self-confidence.
• Alleviated anxiety.

Exercise is my only and favorite drug!