Exercise is often sought out when one wants to get slim or toned, but working out has some pretty awesome side effects: It can beat stress, keep anxiety and depression at bay, cut the risk of about a jillion diseases, and improve sleep quality.
There are a ton of other ways a sweat session can rev up your life (yes, there’s more!). Read on to uncover the hidden perks of exercise, and you’ll think twice about trading that CrossFit class for post-work boozing.
Smarter

A little movement can give you a serious brain power boost. You don’t even need to spend hours at the gym; the study found that even moderate walking will do the trick.

Build Memory Power

Not only does working out make you all-around sharper, it helps you remember information and retain skills better. One study found that exercise promoted skill retention for 24 hours after and up to seven days following a workout.
Hike Up Creativity
If you’ve hit a wall with an office project, or are a starving artist in need of some inspiration, breaking a sweat is one way to get the creative juices flowing. A recent study in the Frontiers in Human Neuroscience found that regular exercise increases creativity. Participants who fit in a workout had higher levels of divergent thinking (coming up with multiple solutions to a problem), as well as convergent thinking (honing in on the correct solution). Boost Your Productivity at Work
Sure, a stack of lattes might spur you to power through those spreadsheets, but so can some gym-time (plus, you’ll spare yourself the caffeine jitters and crashing). One study found that employees who fit in a workout got more work done, even if they used work time to work out. Even your employer benefits when you exercise – now there is no excuse to ditch lunchtime spin class.

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