12 Reasons Why Exercise is Better than Chocolate by Stephanie Nickel

February = Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day = big heart-shaped boxes of chocolate

But here’s why I think exercise is even better than chocolate … even caramel-filled chocolate:

1. Chocolate makes you happy for a little while. Regular exercise improves your outlook for the long haul—with no guilt.

2. Chocolate is expensive—and so are new clothes. There are entire bodyweight exercise routines that don’t require any special equipment. And if you have to buy new clothes because you’ve added muscle and burned fat … now that’s money well spent.

3. Chocolate melts when it’s warm. Exercise warms you up when it’s cold—and burns calories. Score!

4. It’s far less likely that you’re allergic to exercise.

5. It can be hard to share chocolate, especially if you love it big time. Exercising together is inspiring. It holds you accountable and can be lots of fun.

6. Chocolate adds fat. Exercise adds muscle and burns fat.

7. Eating chocolate in excess often leads to a spike in energy and then a crash. Exercising may tire you out, but it leads to increased energy that lasts.

8. You may be tempted to sneak chocolate. You don’t have to keep exercise a secret.

9. There are even more varieties of exercise than there are of chocolate.

10. Adding exercise here and there has better results than adding chocolate here and there.

11. Exercising regularly sets a much better example for friends and family than does eating chocolate. (They probably don’t need anyone to inspire them to do the latter.)

12. The more chocolate you eat, the more you’ll need to exercise. The more you exercise, the less you’ll crave chocolate—for many of us at least.

Enjoy your Valentine’s treats (I plan to), but remember exercise is even better than chocolate and the benefits last year-round.

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Chocolate makes you happy for a moment; exercise makes you happy for a lifetime.(tweet this)

Steph Beth Nickel is an author, a freelance editor and writer, a labour doula, and a former personal trainer. She’d love to connect with you on Facebook or Twitter, on her website or blog.