Everybody knows that exercising is good for you! There are endless studies that state benefits not only for your body but, also for your mind.

I work as a programmer which is a type of job that actually combines two things that can be quite harmful in the long run:

• it's mentally exhausting;

• it's extremely sedentary;

Doing work that is mentally exhausting while not being physically active can really affect your health: you will be more likely to gain weight, overeat, order more takeout food due to working long hours, and, to top it off, the fact that you will feel mentally drained after your working day, will translate into very low energy levels and, if you make this into a daily routine, you have the perfect cocktail for not feeling motivated enough to exercise. However, the benefits are significant.

Benefits of exercising

Exercising is a great way to fight against the more sedentary lifestyle imposed by your job and even perhaps your daily routine with the lockdowns imposed by covid restrictions.

The benefits go much beyond only improving your physical health, and, while that can act as the primary motivator and is, in fact, the main drive to exercise for a lot of people, I've found that there are a series of other, very useful benefits that I personally experience since I've started running 3x a week:

• focus increases: I feel more focused after working out and can do deeper work for a long time, since running clears my mind and acts as a reset from my current task before I went running;

• helps me build a healthy habit: building habits is the key to having a more successful and balanced daily routine. By relying on your habits you can effectively do more work while expending less mental energy;

• it gives you something to look forward to in your days and that acts as a great motivations boost;

Remember to take time off your daily routine to work out, even if it's only once or twice a week, the benefits will quickly compound and you will feel better about yourself!