One of the best things you can do for your health is to adopt regular exercise into your routine. Regular exercise has many health benefits, both short-term and long-term. Some short-term benefits include boosting energy levels and improving sleep and mood.
Apart from reducing the risk of developing diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer, it also makes you stronger and happier, having more energy and living longer. On the other hand, people who sit for long hours without any exercise have a high risk of diseases such as hypertension, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer.
Do you need more convincing? Here are five benefits of exercise for your health and well-being.
In This Article
5 Benefits of Regular Exercise
#1 Lowers the Risk of Diseases
According to the CDC, regular exercise reduces your risk of developing chronic diseases like cancer, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, arthritis, metabolic syndrome, and POCS. In addition, it helps you achieve and maintain a healthy weight, which keeps you from getting these conditions that correlate with obesity and keeps your blood sugar levels and insulin healthy.
It helps increase LDL, or the “good” cholesterol, and lower the body’s HDL, or “bad” cholesterol. Thus, blood flows smoothly, reducing your risk of stroke, heart disease, or hypertension. Furthermore, regular exercise also improves the quality of life of people who already have these conditions.
Also Read: How to Make Time for Exercise with a Busy Schedule (9 Easy Tips)
#2 Helps to Achieve a Healthy Weight
Exercise increases your caloric expenditure, which helps your body to burn fat and lose weight. It helps to balance the calories you burn versus the calories you eat to maintain or lose weight.
To lose weight, you need to burn more calories than what you consume. According to Mayo Clinic, regular exercise optimizes your metabolic rate, making weight management easy.
Also Read: How to Maintain a Healthy Weight: 3 Simple Tips
#3 For Healthy Bones, Muscles, and Joints
Physical activity makes you stronger because it helps build muscle and bone strength. When you have stronger bones, you have a better balance, reducing the risk of osteoporosis, falls, and fractures. In addition, strong muscles make you fit to handle all your daily activities, like carrying groceries or climbing the stairs. It also fastens recovery when you get sick.
#4 Improves Mood and Boosts Energy
A gym session can lift your mood after a stressful day. It helps to block negative thoughts, distract you from your worries, and improve your mood. Exercise reduces stress hormones and stimulates the release of brain chemicals such as serotonin and endorphins that make you happier and less anxious. The hormones released during exercise promote positive feelings and make you happier, energetic, focused, and relaxed.
It boosts your confidence and can help with self-esteem. It can also improve your sleep quality since it helps to control your body’s circadian rhythm.
#5 Boosts Mental Health
Research shows that physical activity can help with depression. This is because exercise triggers the release of hormones that promote the growth of brain cells and boost blood supply to the brain for better functionality.
In addition, having sufficient oxygen in the brain improves memory and brain function. Thus, it slows down the brain’s aging and protects it from generative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and mental disorders such as schizophrenia.
Also Read: How Does Exercise Improve Mental Health? (9 Surprising Ways)
FAQS
- What happens to your body when you start working out?
When you start working out, you will notice a better mood, increased energy, and better sleep quality.
- How can regular exercise extend your life?
Regular exercise reduces your risk of chronic diseases such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and cancer. Therefore, it has the potential to extend your life and reduce your risk of mortality.
- Is it OK to exercise every day?
It is OK to exercise every day as long as you are doing moderate-intensity workouts such as walking without pushing yourself too hard. Do activities that you love doing, such as swimming or dancing, but ensure you get adequate rest to reduce your risk of injury.
- What physical activity is the most beneficial?
Any physical activity is good for you. However, research has proved that moderate-intensity aerobic exercise such as brisk walking, dancing, swimming, and jogging have more long-term health benefits.
Final Thoughts
Regular physical activity will help to improve your quality of life, keep disease at bay, and make you happier and stronger. Aim to have at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity every day to reduce the risk of health problems.
Increase your daily exercise by making small changes in your lifestyle. For example, incorporate walking or cycling into your daily routine and use the stairs instead of the elevator. Doing any physical activity is better than doing nothing at all. Start gradually, then build up to the recommended amount.
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