Eating healthy is a great start, but it isn’t enough to stay healthy in a long term. I know that many people starting to improve their nutrition feel like they could stay away from the gym, as they already feel much better than before. Mistake! Even if nutrition has a great impact on our health, it needs to be combined with regular physical activity in order to maintain optimal and sustainable health.

Although everybody is aware of this fact, many of us still find it hard to get off the couch and move our bodies. Let me remind you here of some key benefits of exercising. Physical activity delivers oxygen and nutrients to your tissues and enhances your cardiovascular system to work efficiently. This allows your lungs and your heart to work properly and, therefore, you have more energy for your daily activities. Moreover, exercising increases blood pressure and blood flow throughout the body. This process brings oxygen and energy to your brain helping you to think clearly. Exercising is not only effective in combating disease; it is also crucial for your general well-being as it helps you maintain an optimal weight, reduce stress, enhance your mood, make you feel younger and much more.

Like most people, I used to love exercising but I was not disciplined. I would have an intense month of exercising then I would give up and then I would start the cycle all over again. I started my real fitness journey in the summer of 2013. I was in London for a few months and the roommates I was living with used to go for a run every weekend. I decided to join the club as I was trying to feel better physically and mentally. I was seriously overweight at that moment and I still can remember how hard it was for me to move my body! My workout consisted of 10 to 15 minutes of running (sometimes with breaks) and this was enough to take my breath away. During the same period I stopped eating meat and dairy products, so I was also beginning to improve my diet. As I kept pushing myself, I started to enjoy exercising and I noticed I was losing some weight. In fact, the more I exercised, even in a slow rhythm, along with being meat and dairy free, the more my body was able to release toxins and acidity. After a few weeks, I was a running addict and I couldn’t spend more than two days without jogging. The plant-based diet started to bless me with unlimited energy. I went from 10 minutes of running in late 2013 to more than 1 hour of running straight in 2014!

I was amazed by this change as it was the first time in my Life that I could consider myself as a “sportive”, exercising on a regular basis, consistently for many months and, most importantly, with pleasure. In 2015 I ran my first half-marathon in Chicago! YES I did it!

One important point in this journey was to vary my exercise routines. Instead of just running every day, I mixed it with volleyball and later Zumba classes. Oh YEAH, that’s what happens when you start eating a diet fully or mostly based on whole plant-based foods– your energy level skyrockets! And the more you exercise, the more your body eliminates toxins, allowing you to enjoy your life more fully. This was really helpful because even though I enjoyed running, the variety of other activities enabled me to challenge myself elsewhere!

The benefits of exercising were almost immediate. The first results was linked to my emotional balance. After a few days of working out I already felt more equipped to face life, and my self-confidence raised considerably. I started to love my body, and I was much more motivated to take care of it by eating clean. The next reward was healthy weight loss. It wasn’t much weight in the beginning, but it was enough to encourage me. In total, I lost about 15 kg (about 30 lbs) and the main part of the weight loss occurred when I introduced raw foods into my diet. I felt my body becoming fit as I was developing muscles. I was able to concentrate and work many hours without getting tired. My digestion improved significantly, my skin started to glow and my sleep became more restful than ever before. Today, exercising is an important part of my daily routine, and I’ve also introduced yoga to help me stretch so my muscles can recover easily after each workout.

This man is such a great example of plant-based athletes. Feel free to read about him to be inspired or convinced that this lifestyle perfectly fits athletes, too.

His Youtube channel : Rich Roll

His Website : http://www.richroll.com/