When we begin to exercise, people love to tell us about their horror stories of exercising. How it’s damaged their knees or ankles and basically giving all the negatives that they experienced.
However, moderate exercise does so much good to your body, that it’s easy to overlook the cons and realise that the benefits far outweigh the risks.
As we know, a healthy lifestyle includes exercise, and a balanced diet, and exercise can help you lose weight and get fitter and stronger. However, the physical aspects are not the only good thing that exercise, and physical activity can do to your body.
So, what can regular exercise do to your body, and are there exercises that do different things?
General benefits
Doing regular physical activity has many health benefits for your body, both physically and mentally. Remembering these can definitely help you when it’s an early morning and you don’t want to get out of bed to exercise!
More energy
Regular exercise can help boost energy as your heart and lung health improve. A study has shown that “regular exercise plays a significant role in increasing energy levels and reducing fatigue.”
Sleep better
Having a regular exercise routine can help improve your sleep and help you get to sleep faster and improve that REM sleep that we need. Try not to exercise too close to bedtime so as not to be overstimulated.
Improve your mood
Exercise such as a brisk walk will release certain chemicals in the brain to help you destress and relax. Endorphins being released will make you happier and reduce anxiety in the long run. Doing 30 minutes of aerobic exercise a day can help people who suffer from low-level anxiety and depression. Mental health is really important, so make sure you look after it as much as you would your physical health.
Live longer
Being active can help reduce the risk of certain illnesses such as heart disease, arthritis, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Losing weight with an exercise regime will also help with obesity and the health conditions that can be exacerbated by being overweight.
More productive
You’ve accomplished your workout in the morning and feel like you can take on anything your day throws at you. The adrenaline pumping through your body has helped create this feeling of productivity, and it can last throughout the whole day. Knowing you’ve already worked out can set you up for the day and lessen feeling irritable and grouchy.
Strengthen muscles
Loss of muscle mass and function is something that happens as we get older. Exercising regularly releases hormones that boost muscle growth and help your muscles absorb amino acids which make them healthier.
Reduce risk of injury
With those stronger muscles, they can function better to reduce the risk of injury and help keep your joints healthy and reduce pain in those areas like your ankles and knees.
Improves your skin – how can sweat be good for your skin? Well, the honest answer is, it isn’t the sweat that is helping. It’s the antioxidants that are released and help protect your cells from oxidative stress. ·
Helps maintain weight
We all know that exercising regularly can improve weight loss – but it can also help maintain the weight you want to be. Knowing what exercises can help with gaining, maintaining or losing weight is half the battle.
Benefits of swimming
Swimming is staging a comeback, with more swimathons, galas and lessons on than ever before. It is very much a social sport and is perfect for those who may want to use exercise as a way of helping and managing anxiety and depression. Even an afternoon of being in the pool with family can be as good as a brisk walking session.
It is becoming apparent that swimming has many benefits such as the general ones listed above, but it also is an all over workout – using major muscle groups that wouldn’t get used with a run or walk.
Swimming can burn more calories in an hour than someone running 5 miles in an hour. You can burn up to 715 calories when swimming at a vigorous pace.
Being able to swim and do it regularly is also great for people who have asthma, due to the moisture from the water helping to replace any moisture lost when breathing hard and fast.
Pregnant women can also enjoy staying physically active by swimming and doing a water aerobic exercise class as it is not too strenuous and is easier on the joints. In fact, because it is easier on the joints it means you are drastically reducing your risk of injury, and being an activity for all ages and fitness levels.
Benefits of yoga
Yoga is another series of exercises that can really do wonders for your body.
There was a survey carried out in 2016, that showed yoga increases flexibility and that it can help slow down the loss of flexibility as people age, providing they do it regularly enough.
There is strong scientific evidence that yoga is another great stress reliever, and can again help with anxiety, depression as seen by this study.
It can also help reduce chronic inflammation. Research suggests from further medical study that yoga has helped reduce biochemical markers of inflammation and has helped sufferers of various chronic diseases such as Crohn’s, diabetes and arthritis.
Yoga can also help with blood flow and your posture. The poses you do can make you more aligned and improve muscle strength in areas such as the hamstrings.
Exercise is great for the body; it helps in many areas both physically and mentally. Regular moderate exercise will create results and you will see yourself getting fitter and healthier. Being able to look at the benefits of exercise and what it really does to your body is great for those who are just starting out or for those who have had people being negative about exercise and working out. Maintaining a healthy weight for your body will inevitably lead to better physical health, better mental health and keep you at a lower risk of some serious diseases.
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