50+ People Talk About How Exercise Changed Their Life (And It’s NOT Just Weight Loss!)

41. I run 40 mins 5 times a week. I’ve done this for 4 months at age 38 after not exercising at all for the last 10 years and being overweight. My appetite has decreased and I’ve lost loads of weight. I feel great about myself after years of struggling to look at myself in the mirror I love wearing dresses now and I’ve bought nice clothes that fit well. I love the shape of my legs and I can’t wait to get out for a run when I get home. It’s done wonders for my self esteem and lots of people asked how I’ve lost so much weight.

One day I got up and said that’s it I’m going running. I met someone who made me want to be a better person. In the early days when I could have quit the thought of that person gave me the determination to put on my trainers and get out the door. My libido has increased a LOT too. – catherine2255

42. Makes me calmer, less stressed by daily shit. Also makes me extra hot – like temperature. I become an oven as long as I’m working out hard and frequently. – CpnStumpy

43. I noticed I slept better and felt happier. – Lord_of_the_Dance

44. Help with depression. – natwulf

45. Confidence, then happiness. I’ve made a lot more friends since I started working and girls started to notice me somewhat. So that made me happy, im no longer moping like I used to so much. – Icyrhodes

46. It makes me feel good about myself and gives me hope that my weight loss goals are achievable. My anxiety goes away for a bit and I actually sleep better at night when I exercise. A non-scale goal of mine is to manage my cholesterol levels by exercising more. Mine had been moving closer to unhealthy ranges but even the small amount of exercise I’ve done has helped. – kimikillz

47. I sleep better. I have always suffered from insomnia and could never sleep, but when I started working out I was suddenly able to get to sleep. My hypothesis is that I am just really restless and working out gets that out of me. – TheOfficialNoah

48. I don’t feel as much anxiety as I once did. – Pachi2Sexy

49. I started to get sick less and eat better. – devyroom

50. My mental clarity and stress management are a lot better as well as my overall outlook on life. I am also less sensitive as far as getting my feelings hurt by micro aggressions. – Priv8Grass

51. In cold weather, I feel warmer all day long. – Back2Bach

52. Less headaches (I used to get very regular headaches), better concentration, less tired overall. – Deagold

53. Aside from the top answers (better mood, clearer head, less hungry, etc) going to the gym gives me a constant task to put into my schedule, and gives me consistency in my daily life. I like having a routine! – Elvensabre

54. The halo effect is a form of cognitive bias in which the brain allows specific positive traits to positively influence the overall evaluation of a person. – geoffro2888

55. Always being cold. Sometimes a benefit, sometimes not a benefit. I’m comfortable in the summer when a lot of people aren’t, but the winter is tough for me. I see a lot of big dudes who can walk around in shorts when it’s freezing out, I need to wear a sweatshirt pretty much the entire winter, even indoors in well heated areas. I’m most comfortable around 75-80°F. I get very cold standing around outdoors, unless I’m doing something strenuous. I have a resting heart rate in the 40s which isn’t high enough to really heat me up unless I’m doing something to raise it. – nalc

56. I get antsy if I don’t work out

For me, cardio at the gym just bores the shit out of me. So I like to road cycle. It clears my head and it’s just me, the scenery and my thoughts. It’s the sort of thing that helps my anxiety and gets me away from screens A good bike ride is the difference between a bad day and a good day. – spaghatta111

57. I breathe better. It sounds weird, but it feels like I get more oxygen out of my breaths. – 45MinutesOfRoadHead

58. If you’re into music, going to the gym is a great time where you can just listen to something for an hour and a half. I find it pretty relaxing. – FloralBison

59. I’m a lot less irritable and less of a dick. – pettyhatemachine

This post isn’t meant to impose exercise in to your lifestyle. It’s merely to encourage us all through the experience of real people.  

Let’s exercise not to lose weight. Let’s do it to become better versions of ourselves.