Ello mates! I hope that you all are enjoying the warm weather and having a great Monday! Today’s guest post will be by the one and only Miranda If you haven’t already checked out her log, I suggest you do! She is always sharing her exercises and food tips, pluuus she is really funny! If you need a good laugh, head on over to her blog!
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Hi guys! I’m Miranda and I blog over at Miranda Runs. I’m a high school senior who really likes food and exercising. That stuff makes me happy.  I’m training for my first half marathon so that’s always an indicator I like running. Even though I had a stress fracture so I didn’t run for over a month and a half… I’m getting back into it I promise! I also like strength training. My boyfriend is pretty heavy.

Exercise is amazing. It’s no secret that exercising is the best natural mood booster and does a lot of super great things for our appearance. Best of all, you don’t have to let exercise rule your life in order to get the benefits: only a few minutes a day (I’m talking 20 minutes here!) can reduce your chance of getting cancer, improve learning, and get you that much closer to a good mood!

I’m a pretty regular gym go-er. I know that I’m only one workout away from a bomb-diggity mood! Since I started working out, I’ve realized what a great impact exercise has on my life!

So, without further ado…

Why Exercise is the Bomb

1. It makes me happy. I’ve covered this already, but exercise boosts your mood by about 345975349 happiness points per minute.

2. It makes everybody else in my life happy. When I’m not in a good mood, oooohh man you better get out of my way. I’m a girl though, so that’s kind of expected (maybe). Either way, it’s much easier to let me have my gym time. Then we’ll both be happy.

3. You don’t have to do 369655885 hours a week of exercise to get in shape. The CDC recommends getting 30 minutes of exercise a day for a healthy life. That’s it! Plus, if you do workouts like HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) or tabatas, your workout will be done even faster. Even a Crossfit-like workout like this one can get your workout out of the way in 20 minutes. And then you’re done!

4. You make friends with the people who are always at the gym at the same time as you! It’s just like at school or work. You end up seeing the same people every time! You’re obviously going to have to make eye contact at some point. Even if you go running outside, there will most likely be someone who always drives past you.

5. You know who drives which car, which is a great conversation starter. This is only slightly creepy, and kind of goes along with #4. I mean, you see the person multiple times a week. Eventually you’ll start noticing that they drive the white Honda.

6. There’s a ton of different exercises. If you don’t like running, then don’t run! If you hate dancing (no, NEVER! Zumba isn’t dancing, per say, so you’re safe ), then don’t dance. There are countless forms of exercise out there! Do what you enjoy doing! Running, weightlifting, Zumba, BodyPump, Les Mills, rollerskating, snowboarding, hiking, rock climbing, horseback riding, yoga, Pilates… need I go on?

7. Exercise = chocolate milk. Chocolate milk = the nectar of the gods. All hail to chocolate milk. Seriously, this stuff is GOOD. Plus, it’s like the best post-workout drink you can have since it’s the perfect combination of nutrients!

8. Rest days are never optional. I learned this the hard way. I was running almost 8 miles every single day (what was I thinking?!). One day, I started to get a little ache in my hip, but I thought nothing of it and just stretched for an extra 3 seconds after. Yeah, bad idea. I had hurt my piriformis muscle and it hurt to walk for 2 weeks. Rest days are essential for recovery! It’s like giving your flowers a ton of water every day, and eventually drowning them.

9. There is most definitely too much of a good thing. Too much exercise can hurt you. Not just physically, but emotionally! You can get seriously drained out by working out every single day. I’ve been through that. I would do the same routine, day after day, for months. I started to dread going to the gym and my body stopped responding to the exercise! Trust me on this one. Don’t get burned out! Also, don’t face plant into sand #fail

10. Your self confidence will sky rocket! Think about how you feel after you finish a kick-butt workout. Maybe you ran a 5k for the first time! Maybe you increased your weight in BodyPump or Les Mills. I don’t know about you guys, but I am so ridiculously happy after I work out. Give yourself the credit for improving your fitness! Your body will thank you.

So next time you’re dreading working out, or are finding chores to do to avoid going (who would do that?   ) think of this:

Remember you are working out for YOU, so don’t let comparison steal your thunder. Cause it tends to do that. You all started working out for a reason! Make a goal and stick to it.

I hope you guys come check out my corner of the blogosphere sometime soon because we really enjoy eating food, working out and making fun of me and laughing with me as I try to figure out this whole finish-high-school-and-start-college thing.

PS-There was a lot of candy in that store. I love candy. I also love you guys!

Your turn!
Why do YOU think exercise is the bomb?
What exercise is your favorite?
Do you like candy? (Please say yes or I’ll cry)