We are all wired differently when it comes to motivation. It may be the rewards that pull you into action. Or maybe not. Maybe it’s a good scare that propels you into motion.

Positive rewards can definitely compel me to get to work, if I’m convinced the action will produce the results I’m craving.

But hard, cold fear has also done the trick.

Blood Test Bolt

Back around 2008 ago I was on assignment as a journalist, visiting a large company that manufactured nutrition supplements and vitamins. As part of my tour, they invited me to go through a routine health checkup that included a blood sugar test.

My stress levels had been high during this period. I worked for a magazine that had been swept up in a private equity acquisition and was being turned inside and out. I’d also been going through a divorce. I had decided that exercise wasn’t a priority—that I didn’t have time or energy for it. My diet had fallen apart, and I’d gained 30 pounds. I was lying to myself, but that was where I allowed my thoughts to take me.

The blood test didn’t lie: I was technically prediabetic, wading into a pool of serious health consequences. It was much more than looking awful in the mirror. I was in metabolic health territory that was clearly dangerous. Pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes are potential stepping stones to chronic health problems like heart disease and cancer. It was also contributing to my difficulty sleeping and how getting out of bed in the morning was akin to feeling like I’d been in a car wreck.

The blood test wake-up call was a cattle prod. The next morning I dug into my closet for a pair of neglected, sad-looking running shoes and jammed them into a backpack. I used my lunch break to jog around a dirt track for a half hour. It wasn’t pretty. I was breathing hard and barely moving. Shuffling is a good word. But that shuffle run had become a turning point. I had no delusions that I was going to lose the weight and right my health overnight. But what did happen instantly was a mental shift toward relief. I had broken free of procrastination—from living with the mantra “I’ll start tomorrow” to “I started.” It took days, and weeks, and months, but from that starting point of facing the truth thanks to a blood test, and being scared into breaking out of my rut, the journey toward health and fitness was just as enjoyable (maybe better?) than the realization of the goals I’d set at the beginning.

This book is dedicated to helping you experience that same transformation. Whether you’re a complete beginner or someone who’s struggled to make exercise stick in the past, you’ll learn how to cultivate an unshakeable exercise discipline that not only improves your health but enriches your life in countless ways.

A Kick in the Butt

Some rush to a gym for the first time and buy a membership as if they arrived by ambulance. I meet them at the door, panic in their eyes. They may have been warned about their weight, blood pressure, cholesterol, or a blood test result. Whatever the data point, the doctor scared them into action.

If fear is what gives you the kick in the butt you need to launch into exercising, then see if any of these risks that come with not exercising zap you into action.

The 9 Major Risks That Come with Not Exercising

Increased Risk of Chronic Diseases. Lack of exercise is a risk factor for a batch of serious problems: developing heart disease, having a stroke, type 2 diabetes, certain types of cancer, and metabolic syndrome (metabolic syndrome is a group of conditions signaling an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes).

A Weakened Heart. Your heart is a muscle. It needs exercise to be strong. Lack of exercise weakens the heart and its ability to efficiently pump blood through your body.

This is why the sit-on-your-butt-all-the-time lifestyle is a downward spiral. You easily feel tired and exhausted walking up a flight of steps, simply because your heart is lacking the capacity to move oxygen into your muscles.

Blood pressure. Let’s say your doctor’s eyes widen when he or she takes your blood pressure. It’s high—a risk factor for heart disease—and lack of exercise can be a reason. Exercise can lower blood pressure by improving the elasticity of blood vessels, which in turn reduces stress hormones and their damaging effects.

High cholesterol. Cholesterol is confusing territory but the bottom line is that lack of exercise can negatively affect the balance between HDL cholesterol (the so-called “good” kind) and LDL cholesterol (the so-called “bad” cholesterol). Plaque is more likely to build up in your arteries when the balance is poor. Consequences can include increased chances of a stroke, heart attack, kidney problems, poor vision, and erectile dysfunction.

Increased risk of stroke. Inactivity can also lead to slower blood flow, increasing the risk of blood clots forming in the legs or lungs. These clots can travel to the heart or brain, causing a heart attack or stroke.

Weight gain and obesity. Without regular exercise (as well as decent nutrition), unhealthy weight gain and obesity can drag you down. Literally. Excess weight puts a strain on your heart, joints, your back, and other organs.

Physical activity burns calories. When you’re inactive, you burn fewer calories throughout the day, making it easier to consume more calories than your body needs.

This calorie surplus (basic arithmetic here) leads to more weight gain.

I once spoke to a woman who had lost 30 pounds in a matter of months. I asked her how she did it. A single change, she told me: She had been drinking two beers a day on top of her diet. Weight gain had crept up on her. She stopped drinking the beer and the weight slowly vanished. We then talked about how to use exercise to improve her body composition and overall health, but her story suggested that calories do matter when it comes to how much you weigh.

Sarcopenia. Starting at around 30 years of age, we begin to lose lean muscle mass. It’s slow at first but, depending on the individual, the loss speeds up as we get older. Sarcopenia is the term for this age-related muscle loss. An exercise-free lifestyle will fling the doors open to sarcopenia. Resistance exercise can help slow this process down.

Loss of muscle means a slower overall metabolism. This likely leads to more fat gain.

Muscle tissue burns more calories at rest than fat tissue. As you lose muscle mass, your resting metabolic rate decreases, meaning you burn fewer calories even when you’re not exercising. In other words, an exerciser and a non-exerciser are sunk into a couch watching the Super Bowl and not moving a muscle. But the exercise has more lean muscle mass on his body. His metabolism is using more calories than his buddy.

Bone density loss. Bones have living tissues that adapt to the demands placed on them. When you exercise, especially weight-bearing or lifting weights, you put stress on your bones. This stress stimulates the cells responsible for bone building to create new bone tissue, making them stronger and denser. The person who sits around and avoids walking as much as possible can get into bone density trouble—bone building slows down and can lead to bone loss.

Muscles and bones team up to produce movement. Strong muscles help pull and tug on bones, further stimulating bone growth and maintenance. The opposite, inactivity, weakens muscles, and bone health declines with it.

Exercise regulates hormones that are important for bone health, such as estrogen and testosterone. A void of exercise can disrupt this balance, leading to increased bone breakdown.

Mental Health Issues. Not getting any exercise can lead to depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem.

Being inactive robs you of brain chemicals that simply make you feel good. Endorphins, the stuff of the so-called “runner’s high,” are an example. This is what helps a person get hooked on routine exercise.

Exercise helps reduce stress and anxiety levels by lowering stress hormones like cortisol. This is my go-to when I feel overwhelmed, helping me burn off steam and allowing me to think more clearly. Conversely, lack of exercise allows stress and anxiety to build up, opening the door to mental health problems.

Sitting has been called “the new smoking” and more recently “poor sleep is the new smoking.” Meaning there can be serious consequences for poor or inadequate sleep. Exercise can help with combatting insomnia and low sleep quality.

So those are the major long-term risks.

Other Risks

In addition to the many risks of a policy-wide avoidance of exercise, there is the simple but profound loss of feeling physically good. This is embedded in much of the above, particularly mental health, but it’s worth another mention because it’s more palpable than the above big-picture, long-range health effects. You don’t have to wait around for the “feel good” prize. It’s immediate.

With consistent exercise comes this happy brain chemicals action, but I think this goes beyond the exercise itself. It’s a function of maintaining a positive, challenging habit. You’re doing the work and you feel good about yourself for doing it.

If I miss a few days of exercise, for whatever reason, the loss is just as immediate. I go into a funk.

The good news about this kind of funk is that I can get rid of it with a quick, simple return to action. Even five minutes of push-ups can snap me out of it.

Key Takeaways

1. Inactivity is a major risk factor for numerous chronic diseases. Your immediate health and your long-term health depend on whether you exercise or not.
2. Exercise strengthens your heart and improves cardiovascular health. Your heart is a muscle. THE muscle. Without exercise it loses power.
3. Regular physical activity helps maintain a healthy weight and boosts metabolism. Diet is important too. Some argue more important. But exercise plays a major role too.

T.J. Murphy is the former editor-in-chief of Triathlete Magazineand the author of The Exercise Zone, a practical guide designed to help people build lifelong fitness habits. A veteran health journalist and head coach of the Shamrock Running Club, he has also co-authored bestsellers like Ready to Runand Unbreakable Runner. With a background that includes a 2:38 marathon and five Ironman finishes, he combines professional expertise with personal experience to help clients navigate the world of endurance training and sustainable health.