A new year holds great potential, as well as challenges. The mystery is you don’t know when either will come. But there’s one variable that you have the most control over: yourself. By ensuring you are healthy, you can be ready to handle the stress of the unpredictability of a new year and daily life. You have the power to shape your health and well-being.

One of the best ways to deal with stress is, you guessed it, exercise! Working out is one of the best ways to handle stress. The benefits are endless. This one activity has the potential to make you healthier, feel better, and improve your mental performance so you can perform your best and kick stress to the curb.

How does exercise make you healthier?

According to the American Heart Association, physical activity improves the quality of life. “People who are physically active and at a healthy weight live about seven years longer than those who are not active and are obese.”

Being active includes working out regularly (30 minutes at least five days a week), which helps you avoid and manage high blood pressure, diabetes, harmful cholesterol levels, and other health risks. How about the fact that you can decrease your risk of a stroke by 20 percent by simply being moderately active? I’d say that it’s worth it. And I think your family and friends would agree.

How does exercise makes you feel better?

As insurance brokers, your job keeps you on the go, whether standing on your feet all day at enrollment meetings or being on the road meeting with your clients. Working long hours, navigating multiple deadlines, and dealing with challenging situations can take a toll physically and mentally. But you may not know that being physically active can impact how you feel.

We have a variety of feelings that are affected by the hormones our bodies produce. Endorphins, for example, are known as feel-good drugs. During rigorous exercise, the brain increases the level of this feel-good neurotransmitter, resulting in a feeling similar to a runner’s high.

Additionally, working out drives down cortisol levels (otherwise called the stress hormone), which, if elevated for a prolonged period, can have negative effects on sleep, blood pressure, immune system, weight, and more.  

Exercise strengthens your brain …and, therefore, your daily mental performance. Stay sharp during client meetings and open enrollment by flexing your brain power! A study found that participants given a memory test following vigorous physical activity were more likely to recall more than those who had remained rested. After examining blood samples obtained throughout the experiment, they found higher levels of a brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) protein. BDNF is known for its ability to increase the health of nerve cells; moreover, scientists believe that it explains why mental functioning, including memory, gets better the more you work out.

Feeling like getting a gym membership or just starting your walking habit again? Go for it! Your body and mind are the only ones you’ll have. You need it to live a great, quality life and enjoy your family and friends. Plus, we all know that appearance and first impressions are essential to your business.  So, decide that this will be the year you get, stay healthy, and develop a healthy lifestyle. And remember, the solution is simply a step away…and then keep going. Take that first step today and commit to a healthier you.

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