Since before we were born, we have been bombarded with the idea that we are lazy, and exercise is a necessary component for our healthy lifestyle.

Many of our parents took the time to enroll us in countless sports related teams as children in hopes that we wouldn’t grow up to feed the overweight American stereotype.

As a child you really have no choice but to obey your parents and attend your ballet classes and karate championships. The majority of children who participate in these activities are very healthy and happy as kids.

Then you become a teenager, and all of the sudden everyone want to lose weight, and no one wants to get up and move.

There are diets and pills and shrines to pray to, but the best way to be happy and lose weight is to exercise.

No one needs me to tell them that though, as I mentioned above, the fact that exercising makes you happier is simply a proven fact.  Exercising is the best way to be healthy and feel good about yourself.

Here are some good ways to get exercise:

Running:

Running is an aerobic exercise that can be performed by almost anyone.  There are so many places to go for a run that no one (aside from people who don’t have legs) have no excuse as to why they can’t.

Many people choose to run in their neighborhood or if they have an objection to running on the road, there is also the rail trail which is a great place to run.

Swimming:

Swimming is also a form of aerobic exercise that people of all shapes and sizes can take part in.

Swimming is a good exercise to get in shape because since it takes place in the water, there is a minimum strain on your joints so anyone can do it.  (If you’re really ambitious, you don’t even need legs for this one.)

The local YMCA is a good place to swim laps.

Biking:

This is again, a leg dependent sport, but is a good way to get out and explore.  This sport will make your leg muscles very strong and it is also really good for your heart.  A great place to go biking is on the railtrail because it is so flat.

Weight Lifting:

Obviously, this type of exercise is for the muscle builders in the crowd.  Some convenient places to weight lift include the YMCA, Gold’s gym, and various other gyms around Shrewsbury.

Weight lifting can take place in various forms.  You can weight lift to focus on specific parts of the body, like the arms, legs, or back. Just don’t skip leg day.

Yoga:

This is an exercise that targets flexibility, it’s also pretty good for your mental health.  There are lots of places, many the same as weight lifting, where you can take yoga classes.  The YMCA is once again a good place to take yoga classes and other dance classes as well.

Personally I have found that when I get back from a run or a workout I have more energy than before I started.  It’s a “high on life” if you will.  I don’t think I’ve ever heard someone regret going out and exercising.

So, it really is a fact; exercise is the best way to be happy and healthy.