What are the best benefits of regular exercise?

There are numerous benefits of regular exercise. Today’s lifestyle is speedy, especially in metro cities. It brings with it a lot of stress into our life. Out of our busy schedule, we could not find time for exercise, making our life more miserable. Along with it come many diseases such as irregular pressure, sugar, tension, and many physical and mental health issues. We should keep in mind that exercise is a must if we want to be full of energy for whatever work we are in. Even 15 minutes of daily exercise could positively change your life.

Being less active: A modern problem.

These days people are very less active. One of the reason for such sedentary lifestyle is because of technology. Technological advancement has made our lives more accessible than before. Machines clean our dishes, washes our clothes, and even sweep and mop the floor. It switches on the lights, fan, TV. We go to work by car or take public transport. Our entertainment is a television with unlimited programmes, computer gaming, social networking, or playing games on mobile. Even many of the jobs require minimal physical effort. Even our groceries or foods are being delivered home, so we do not need to go to corner shops to buy essential or everyday household items.

We burn fewer calories as we move around less and spend an average of 10 to 12 hours daily sitting at work or on transport.

Sedentary lifestyles

Inactivity is a “silent killer”. Sedentary behaviour like sitting or lying down for prolonged periods is not suitable for our health. We need to be more active and spend less time sitting down.

Sedentary behaviour includes watching TV, sticking to your computer or mobile devices, using a vehicle for short journeys etc. Any sedentary behaviour increases the risk of developing chronic diseases, heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. It also helps to generate weight gain and obesity.

Regular Exercise is good for our health.

Regular exercise is one of the most important things you can do for your health. Everyone can reap the health benefits of physical activity as age, abilities, ethnicity, shape, size, etc., do not matter. There are numerous benefits of regular exercise.

Suppose you are unsure about physical activity because you are afraid of getting hurt. In that case, the good news is that even brisk walking is excellent and safe for most people.

See your doctor first.

See your doctor or physician before starting any new physical activity programme is always a good idea. If you are pregnant and at a higher risk for heart disease, moderate activity makes you breathless and/or causes pain in your chest and if you are over 45 years old.

Benefits of regular exercise.

It helps us to control our weight and prevent obesity. (benefits of regular exercise)

Inactivity and unhealthy food are two primary components of gaining weight and obesity. Our body burns calories by exercising, digesting food and maintaining different body functions such as breathing, heartbeat etc.

How and what we eat and our physical activity play a vital role in weight management. If calorie intake is higher than calorie burn during activities, then we gain weight.

Suppose you want to maintain your current weight. In that case, you might need moderate physical activities for 30 minutes a day and 5 days a week. But it also varies from one person to another. One might need to be more active than others to maintain their desired weight.

To lose weight, we need a lot of physical activity to burn more calories and adjust our eating patterns to reduce the intake of calories. Once we achieve a healthy weight, we still need to focus on regular physical activity and healthy eating. If you think of dieting, only then know this reduced calorie intake lowers our metabolic rate leading to a delay in weight loss.

While regular exercise increases metabolic rate and helps to burn more calories. As a result, we lose weight faster. If we combine aerobic exercise with resistance training, then we can maximize fat loss and maintain lean muscle mass. Weight loss and preventing obesity is are important benefits of regular exercise.

The risk of heart disease will be reduced.(benefits of regular exercise)

Regular exercise is good for our cardiac health. It is one of the top benefits of regular exercise. Regular exercise improves cholesterol levels, lowers blood pressure, reduces the risk of heart attacks and heart disease, and reduces the risk of stroke.

We must do moderately intense physical activity for 150 minutes a week. If we are more active than this, then the benefits continue to increase.

It helps our body to manage blood sugar and insulin levels. (benefits of regular exercise)

Exercise helps us to fight against Type 2 Diabetes. Regular exercise improves blood glucose control, reduces cardiovascular risk factors, helps to lose weight, and delays and prevents the development of type 2 diabetes.

Exercise also helps people with type 1 diabetes by strengthening muscles and improving cardiovascular fitness and insulin sensitivity.

Regular exercise can help us to quit smoking. (benefits of regular exercise)

Regular exercise makes it easier to quit smoking. It reduces nicotine cravings and withdrawal symptoms. It also helps limit weight gain when one stops smoking.

Our mental health and mood improve.(benefits of regular exercise.)

Regular exercise increases the brain’s sensitivity to the hormones such as serotonin and norepinephrine. These hormones relieve feelings of depression and improve our mood and decrease depression, anxiety, and stress-related mental issues. Physical exercise increases the production of endorphins, the feel-good hormone and reduces depression and perception of pain.

The structure and function of our brain get better. (benefits of regular exercise)

Regular exercise improves our brain function. It increases our heart rate and promotes blood and oxygen flow to our brains. It also helps the production of hormones that enhance brain cell growth.

Hippocampus is a part of the brain necessary for memory and learning. Regular exercises cause the hippocampus to grow, which helps to improve mental function in older adults. Elderly people who exercise regularly have improved cognitive health. Alzheimer’s Society U.K., studies show that with regular exercise, chances of developing dementia decrease by about 30 per cent and Alzheimer’s disease by almost 45 per cent.

It strengthens our bones and muscles. (benefits of regular exercise)

Regular exercise helps in building and maintaining strong muscles and bones. Activities like weightlifting stimulate muscle building when incorporated with adequate protein consumption.

Activities help release hormones that increase muscles’ ability to absorb amino acids. This allows the power to grow, and their breakdown is reduced.

Exercise also promotes bone density and helps to prevent osteoporosis.

It increases our sexual health. (benefits of regular exercise)

Physical activity improves sexual performance and sexual pleasure as it strengthens the heart, improves blood circulation, tone muscles, and enhance flexibility. It boosts sex drive.

Regular exercise increases sexual function and desire in postmenopausal women and significantly improves erectile function in men.

Our sleep pattern gets better. (benefits of regular exercise)

Regular exercise depletes our energy. This energy is restored during sleep. Thus, intense activity helps to relax and sleep better. Stretching and resistance activities help to fall asleep faster and improve getting back to sleep after waking, sleep duration, and sleep quality. Exercise helps people with chronic insomnia.

Exercise can increase our energy levels. (benefits of regular exercise)

Regular exercise boosts our energy levels. Exercise reduces feelings of fatigue and improves our lungs and heart functions. Aerobic exercises enhance the cardiovascular system and improve lung health, significantly improving energy levels.

Exercise reduces the risk of chronic disease. (benefits of regular exercise)

Physical activity reduces the risk of chronic diseases or helps in fighting them. Regular exercise improves insulin sensitivity, heart health, body composition, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and type 1 diabetes. Daily physical activity is crucial to maintaining a healthy weight and reducing the risk of chronic diseases.

Exercise can help skin health. (benefits of regular exercise)

When antioxidants in the body cannot fully repair cell damage caused by free radicals, it is called Oxidative stress. Oxidative stress damages the structure of the cells and harms our skin.

Intense activity can cause oxidative damage, but regular moderate exercise can increase the body’s production of natural antioxidants. These antioxidants protect cells.

Exercise also stimulates blood flow and induces skin cell adaptations. Skin cell adaptations help to delay the ageing of the skin.

Exercise can reduce pain. (benefits of regular exercise)

Exercise can reduce chronic pain. It helps control pain associated with various health conditions, including chronic low back pain, fibromyalgia, chronic soft tissue shoulder disorder, etc. Physical activity also improves pain tolerance and decreases pain perception.

Reduce your risk of falls. (benefits of regular exercise)

Exercises focusing on balance and strength can reduce falling risk for senior citizens. It is difficult for seniors to do activities like squatting etc. But some fall prevention exercises can be done quickly or with guided help.

Increase your chances of living longer. (benefits of regular exercise)

Exercises reduce the risk of dying early from the leading causes of death, like heart or lungs diseases and cancers of the Bladder, Breast, Colon (proximal and distal), Endometrium, and Esophagus (adenocarcinoma), Kidney, Lung, and Stomach (cardia and non-cardia adenocarcinoma).

How do exercises help our minds?

Regular exercise blocks negative vibes by distracting you from daily worries and helps depression. Group activities give opportunities to improve social contact. Exercise improves serotonin, endorphins, and stress hormones, improving mood and lifting our spirit.

What is the minimum amount of exercise we can do in a day?

A minimum of 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity is to be done to maintain health and reduce our risk of health problems.

How to make exercise a part of my daily routine?

• Every small step counts. Taking the stairs instead of the elevator, walking down the hall to a co-worker’s office, or parking your car a bit further away from your destination, could give you a good start.
• You are more likely to enjoy exercise if you can find a good workout partner.
• Keeping a log of your actions or using a fitness tracker could help you set your own goals and stay motivated.
• Various people have started exercising for different reasons. For some, it is about losing weight; others want to gain muscle or become healthier. You need to remember your “WHY”. Because on those difficult days, this “WHY” will help you move and act as a motivation. Always remember the benefits of regular exercise, for which you started it in the first place.
• Try listening to music while you exercise.

When is the best time to exercise?

Well, there is no right and wrong answer. It entirely depends upon you and your daily routine. For some people, muscle strength, flexibility, power output, and endurance are all better in the evening than in the morning. But if you are too tired after a long day at work or if evening workouts interfere with your daily responsibilities, you can go for a morning workout.

What are the top 50 Benefits of Regular Exercise?

There are many benefits of regular exercise. Here is our top 50 list.

1. Reduces cholesterol levels
2. One of the key benefits of regular exercise is that it increases the concentration of high-density lipoprotein (HDL or “good” cholesterol in the blood)
3. Benefits of regular exercise is reduced blood pressure
4. Reduces chances for coronary heart disease
5. Increases efficiency of the heart and lowers resting heart rate
6. Improves contractile function of the heart
7. Makes heart muscles stronger
8. Improves cardiovascular endurance and performance
9. Improves respiratory function
10. Strengthens lungs
11. Reduces the severity of asthma
12. Exercise pumps more oxygen to the body, including organs and muscles
13. Reduces chances of stroke
14. Helps to alleviate varicose veins
15. Provides more nutrient supply to the body
16. Stimulates digestion
17. Increases metabolic rate
18. Stimulates intestinal movements, resulting in better elimination of wastes
19. Increases efficiency of muscles
20. Strengthens and develops muscles
21. Helps maintain cartilage health in the joints
22. Benefits joints due to stronger muscles
23. Eases muscular tension. Increases muscle flexibility and agility
24. Alleviates back problems
25. Improves speed of muscle contraction and reaction time
26. Burns up and removes toxins from the body
27. More healthy skin because skin pores open more during exercise, resulting in more efficient removal of dirt and impurities
28. Increases blood flow to the brain
29. Stimulates the growth of nerve cells in the memory centre of the brain
30. Enhances brain functioning by increasing the amount of oxygen available to it
31. Improves sense of well being
32. Increases sense of excitement because the hormone epinephrine is elevated
33. Increases resistance to pain because endorphin levels are elevated
34. Alleviates boredom. Lessens worry and tension and enhances mood
35. Releases anger and negative emotions
36. Enhances coordination, power, timing and balance
37. Improves self-esteem and self-confidence since body and mind are improved and strengthened
38. Reduces depression more effective than short or long-term psychotherapy
39. Boosts immune system functioning
40. Improves functioning of various organs
41. Can reduce the urge to smoke because the adrenaline rush and stress relief from a brief workout can replace similar feelings smokers get from tobacco
42. Burns calories and causes weight loss
43. Allows one to keep lost weight from returning
44. Improves bone density and prevents osteoporosis
45. Help manage arthritis
46. Can reduce or eliminate impotence due to increased blood flow
47. Helps insulin work better, lowering blood sugar and preventing or managing type 2 diabetes
48. Alleviates menstrual cramps
49. Reduces risk of developing certain types of cancers of the colon, prostate, uterine lining and breast and other chronic diseases
50. Regulates hormones.

To sum up: regular exercise and its benefits.

Any movement that makes your muscles work and help your body to burn calories is called exercise. Walking, jogging, running, swimming, dancing, and practising martial arts are all physical activities. The activity provides health benefits both physically and mentally. Each week, one must aim for 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity. This is per the Department of Health and Human Services’ activity guidelines for adults. Walking, cycling, swimming etc., are considered moderate-intensity aerobic activities as they make our heartbeat faster.

Running or strenuous fitness classes are considered vigorous intensity. Once you start doing a minimum of 2 days of muscle-strengthening activities, you will exceed the recommendations. One can use resistance bands or weights to perform muscle-strengthening exercises such as squats, push-ups, shoulder presses, chest presses, and planks.

Regular exercise is the most important thing you can do to improve your health. Anyone can reap the health benefits of physical activity – age, abilities, ethnicity, shape, size etc., do not matter. Exercise provides both preventive and curative benefits for mental and physical health. Even if the exercise is below the recommended amount, it still provides health benefits.

References

1. Blood sugar and exercise. (n.d.). Diabetes.org. Retrieved August 2, 2022, from https://www.diabetes.org/healthy-living/fitness/getting-started-safely/blood-glucose-and-exercise
2. Physical exercise and dementia. (n.d.). Alzheimer’s Society. Retrieved August 2, 2022, from https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/about-dementia/risk-factors-and-prevention/physical-exercise
3. Chen, W.-W., Zhang, X., & Huang, W.-J. (2016). Role of physical exercise in Alzheimer’s disease. Biomedical Reports, 4(4), 403–407. https://doi.org/10.3892/br.2016.607