It’s a love-hate relationship – the one we have with exercise. You know you need it. You hesitate doing it and make excuses for not doing it. But once you engage in the activity, you’re glad you did it – at least until the next time when the same old feelings and temptations come knocking at your door.

We at Golden Ocala Golf & Equestrian Club share your sentiments, but we also understand the importance of incorporating exercise into our routines and of devoting ourselves to active living.

We all understand the basic facts about exercise and physical activity. The Mayo Clinic lists seven benefits of exercise:

1. Go small: Exercise helps you lose weight by burning calories. You don’t necessarily have to do all your exercise at one time. It can be done in shorter segments of time throughout the day.
2. Put ‘em up: Exercise fights diseases. It can lower blood pressure, boost good cholesterol and lower unhealthy triglyceride levels. It also may keep other villains – like stroke, metabolic syndrome, diabetes and depression – at bay.
3. So happy together: Stressed out? A gym workout or brisk walk can remarkably improve your mood.
4. I’ll be back: Exercise helps improve energy levels, builds muscle strength and enhances endurance.
5. Snooze you don’t lose: Regular physical activity helps promotes better and deeper sleep.
6. Hubba hubba: Ahem. It improves your sex life. We decline to elaborate further.
7. Yippee: Exercise can be fun. No, really. Physical recreation – which is classified as exercise – reconnects you with the outdoors, family and friends. You can dance. Take a hike. Play golf or tennis. You name it. Just get moving.

How Long and How Much?

You may be wondering: But how much exercise should I get? While recommended allotments of time may vary, the Mayo Clinic suggests setting a goal of at least 30 minutes a day. You may have to increase that amount if you have loftier aims, such as losing weight or getting in tip-top shape. Top levels are 90 minutes per day.

What about exertion levels? Fitness experts say beneficial exercise doesn’t have to be monumental feats of aerobic activity or hoisting heavy weights. It can be relatively simple and easy.

“Encourage yourself to be physically active by doing things you actually enjoy,” registered dietician Rick Hall told WebMD. “Make a list of things you like to do that are active, and find ways to fit them in.” Hall is an advisory board member for the Arizona Governor’s Council on Health, Physical Fitness and Sports.

“Take the stairs instead of the elevator, and park your car further away from the office. These are small ways to incorporate regular physical activity into your daily routine that add up over the course of the day.”

Discovering The Lean, Mean Fighting Machine

The trainers at Golden Ocala Golf & Equestrian Club’s Fitness Center can help you develop a fitness program to suit your specific goals. As a member of Golden Ocala, you have access to a private gym.

You’ll be using the finest in Italian exercise equipment with Technogym®, a revolutionary system backed by years of research and development, at our Fitness Center.

Stop by the Fitness Center today and get started on the new you!