Sometimes measuring your health improvements from exercise can be hard to spot. The team at Melbourne CBD Physiotherapy and Sports Medicine have listed 4 indicators that you can observe to see if your health is improving.

1. You feel stronger, more energetic and focused in daily life  

Exercise can help us improve our day to day energy and help reduce that 3 pm slump. This can mean you are feeling more physically energetic and mentally focused throughout your day. You may notice activities you found difficult are starting to become easier due to your increased strength and fitness. These may be things like climbing stairs or standing up from a chair as well as running further and faster or improved sports performance.  

2. Your medical tests are improving  

This could include any measurements you are monitoring with your health care team such as blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol etc. These may be the “invisible” benefits of exercise that you may not notice at the time but in the long term will drastically decrease the risk of developing chronic health conditions such as heart disease and diabetes.  

3. You’re looking forward to exercise and activity  

You are starting to crave that endorphin boost that you get from your activity. Exercise and activity can be anything that you enjoy from walking to dancing and swimming or playing sports just to name a few. Movement is movement, find something that’s fun for you.  

Movement should be enjoyable and something to look forward to, that is ultimately what will help you stick with your active habits for a lifetime. 

4. You are sleeping better  

Those who exercise regularly have been found to improve sleep quality and fall asleep easier. This improved sleep helps us to rest and recover ready to tackle the next day and the activities it holds. The benefit goes both ways – those who sleep better are more likely to be physically active and those who are physically active are more likely to have better sleep and so the cycle continues! Good sleep has also been shown to improve our immune system, prevent weight gain and reduce the risk of chronic disease.