Wondering if you should start following in the footsteps of your fitness buff friends who make it a habit to spend a few minutes of their day pumping iron at the gym or jogging in the park?

Well, you don’t have to wonder anymore — if you are encountering one or more of the following, then it’s a good idea for you to start exercising on a regular basis:

You Feel Sluggish All the Time

Here’s one strange fact: in order to gain energy, you have to spend energy. It’s exactly for this reason why it is a good idea for you to exercise if you feel that you are lethargic day after day.

Especially if you have tons of mental and physical tasks to carry out the entire day, it’s a wonderful idea for you to have moderate exercise in the morning to have all the energy you will need to complete those undertakings.

Your Joints Feel Stiff

Do you often find yourself reaching for that bottle of NSAIDs because your joints do not seem to want to cooperate? Perhaps they just need to be used more — the less you use your joints, the stiffer they become.

And by the way, not getting your regular dose of exercise may cause you to weight gain, which is something that can be hard on your joints. Once you are already overweight, it’s likely for them to end up stiffer.

You’re Experiencing Depression

Exercising causes the production of happy hormones. If it seems as though you are always feeling down, it’s probably one of the many issues that can stem from having a sedentary lifestyle.

Before you attempt to get a prescription for antidepressants, why not try spending a few minutes walking outside first? It’s a cheaper and side effect-free way to lift your mood and also improve your overall health.

You’ve Got Anxiety

Got lots of scary things running through your mind? Locking yourself up in your room won’t make them go away — exercising for at least 20 minutes daily, on the other hand, may!

As earlier mentioned, getting your regular dose of exercise leaves your brain flooded with happy hormones that can make not only sadness to leave you alone, but also your anxious thoughts.

You Have a Hard Time Concentrating

It’s not just happy hormones that are produced in your brain when you exercise on most days of the week, but also what scientists are calling brain-derived neurotrophic factor or BDNF.

Experts say that there are so many perks that this BDNF offers, and some of them include better concentration, mental alertness and a sharper memory.

You’re Feeling Stressed Constantly

There are so many different ways to reduce your stress levels, and getting your regular dose of exercise is one of the best as it not only combats stress, but also wipes out the various negative effects of stress on your body.

So if you are leading a very stressful everyday life, consider making exercising a daily part of your routine — even something as quick as strolling around the block or tending to your garden for 20 minutes will work.

You Can’t Catch Some Z’s

Having a hard time getting a good night’s sleep each time? Oftentimes, it’s due to stuff like anxiety and stress, both of which can be dealt with through exercising, just like what’s mentioned earlier.

Especially when you exercise during the first half of your day, your body will be primed later on for a fantastic trip to dreamland. Unlike a sleeping pill, exercising won’t leave you feeling groggy the following day.

You are Overweight

And finally, one of the telltale signs that you should start to spend more time exercising than watching TV is you have excess pounds that are keeping you from feeling confident.

Getting your dose of exercise on a regular basis helps burn unwanted calories before they end up stored as fat. Also, it will help you build muscles, which causes your metabolism to accelerate.

WARNING: Do not start an exercise regimen without first consulting your doctor, most especially if you have been sedentary for many years or you have a known medical condition.