positive quotes and thoughts on exercise

Movement is a medicine for creating
change in a person's physical,
emotional, and mental states.

Carol Welch

Leave all the afternoon for exercise and recreation, which are as necessary as reading. I will rather say more necessary because health is worth more than learning. Thomas Jefferson

Studies show that most people know that they should exercise, but still maintain that they can’t make the time for it. It’s true that life is hectic with work, child care/family responsibilities and a bunch of other demands on our time. The trick is to make exercise a priority. You just have to commit to doing it. Although experts suggest we exercise 5-7 times a week for at least one hour, long-term benefits can be seen with regular activity of 20 minutes, 3-4 times a week. Health Talk Now I would rather exercise than read a newspaper. Kim Alexis

A life without exercise is, simply, a life without vigor. Exercise doesn't mean hours at the gym, sweating and working until every muscle in your body is sore, but it does mean sometimes making a decision to let other things go for an hour or two so that you can take care of one of the most important elements of your life on this planet: your body. tom walsh

Anyone's life truly lived consists of work, sunshine, exercise, soap, plenty of fresh air, and a happy contented spirit. Lillie Langtry

It is wonderful how the mind is stirred and quickened
into activity by brisk bodily exercise.

Pliny the Younger

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Exercise alone provides psychological and physical benefits. However,
if you also adopt a strategy that engages your mind while you exercise,
you can get a whole host of psychological benefits fairly quickly.

James Rippe

The Greeks understood that mind and body must develop in
harmonious proportions to produce a creative intelligence.
And so did the most brilliant intelligence of our earliest days--
Thomas Jefferson--when he said, not less than two hours a day
should be devoted to exercise. If the man who wrote the
Declaration of Independence, was Secretary of State, and
twice President, could give it two hours, our children
can give it ten or fifteen minutes.

John F. Kennedy

Patients should have rest, food, fresh air,
and exercise--the quadrangle of health.

William Osler

True enjoyment comes from activity of the mind
and exercise of the body; the two are united.

Alexander von Humboldt

Exercise and temperance can preserve something
of our early strength even in old age.

Cicero

Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being,
while movement and methodical physical exercise save it and preserve it.

Plato

Physical activity is an excellent stress-buster and provides other
health benefits as well. It also can improve your mood and self image.

Jon Wickham

We do not stop exercising because we grow old;
we grow old because we stop exercising.

Kenneth Cooper

The sovereign invigorator of the body is exercise,
and of all the exercises walking is the best.

Thomas Jefferson

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The pressures of home and family life can also mean it feels as if there's little time left to fit in exercise. It's certainly tough to get started. So, it's worth thinking about what you gain from regular exercise and making even a partial improvement to your fitness.

Physical inactivity is an independent risk factor for coronary heart disease - in other words, if you don't exercise you dramatically increase your risk of dying from a heart attack
Conversely, exercise means a healthier heart because it reduces several cardiovascular risks, including high blood pressure
Being physically active can bolster good mental health and help you to manage stress, anxiety and even depression
Regular exercise as you age keeps you strong, mobile and less dependent on others
Regular exercise can help you achieve and maintain an ideal weight, which can be important in managing many health conditions, or may just make you feel happier about your appearance
All exercise helps strengthen bones and muscles to some degree, but weight-bearing exercise, such as running, is especially good in promoting bone density and protecting against osteoporosis, which affects men as well as women
Different exercises help with all sorts of health niggles, such as digestion, poor posture and sleeplessness, and physical activity can be beneficial for a range of medical conditions, from diabetes to lower back pain

BBC Health

Really being disciplined about exercise is probably one of the hardest
things for most of us, but don't let yourself sabotage your good
intentions by excuses such as you don't have time or you think you
look lumpy in tights. It is amazing how much difference a fit body
makes in how confident and capable we feel. Give your body good
food and plenty of replenishing rest. You cannot run (and most of us
do, indeed, run) without effective fuel and restorative periods for
refueling. You are your body's only maintenance engineer--it counts on you.

Sue Patton Thoele
The Courage to Be Yourself

The tools that allow for optimum health are diet and exercise.

Bill Toomey

Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live.

Jim Rohn

Health and good estate of body are above all gold,
and a strong body above infinite wealth.

Ecclesiasticus 30:15

Those who think they have not time for bodily exercise
will sooner or later have to find time for illness.

Edward Stanley

Being active contributes to our physical health, significantly reducing
the likelihood of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. But the benefits
from being active are not limited to the body. A moderate amount of
physical exercise on a regular basis—as little as thirty minutes three
times a week—has the same effect in combating depression and anxiety
as does the most powerful psychiatric medication. Being active increases
overall psychological well-being, enhances concentration and creativity,
and significantly reduces the likelihood of dementia and cognitive
impairment later in life. To increase the likelihood of enjoying physical
and mental health, we need to move it.

Tal Ben-Shahar
Choose the Life You Want