No matter where you look it seems like people are turning to exercise for just about everything these days. It’s the acclaimed answer to so many ailments and problems but why? Let’s take a deeper look into how exercise actually affects the body.
Why is exercise good for you?
The short answer is that exercise is a very basic and primal activity that helps your body retain its mobility, flexibility, health, and mental clarity. Regular exercise strengthens the heart, boosts circulation and helps regulate blood sugar. One of the most amazing benefits of exercising is how it balances hormones and helps to regulate mood and stress. Yes, you read that correctly. When you exercise the body releases hormones like endorphins and dopamine that make you feel happy and boost energy levels. This also translates into your normal daily life. While your hormones are more balanced you will become calmer and less likely to get stressed.
Are you already sold on exercising? Well, would you believe that it gets better? Let’s take a look at a few important ways exercise impacts your body, mood, and overall lifestyle.
Disease Prevention
The fact is that exercise really does help prevent and reduce the risk of many diseases.
Diabetes: Type II diabetes is when the body becomes resistant to insulin or the pancreas stops producing enough insulin to control blood sugar levels. It is usually caused by obesity, a sedentary lifestyle, or a bad diet. You can reduce the risk of getting type II by exercising. Also, when you exercise regularly your body requires less insulin to regulate blood sugar. This results in higher insulin sensitivity.
Heart Disease: This disease is caused by plaque buildup which stiffens the artery walls and prevents blood flow. As the heart strengthens with exercise it increases blood flow and helps to clear arteries and reduce clotting. Exercising also helps to regulate blood pressure, cholesterol, and weight. All of which are contributing factors for heart disease.
Cancer: This disease is caused by accumulated damage to genes. Any environmental factors that create free radicals within the body can eventually lead to cancer. Smoking, pollution, obesity, extreme UV exposure, and chemicals are all examples of contributing factors. Keep in mind that not all types of cancer can be prevented with exercise. Generally speaking, exercise helps to regulate hormones, speeds digestion and helps maintain a healthy weight. All of these elements contribute to a person’s risk of getting certain types of cancer.
Osteoporosis: This disease causes bones to become porous, frail and easily broken. It is caused by a lack of estrogen and usually occurs after the age of 60. Exercise can help reduce the amount of bone density lost and preserves the remaining bone tissue. The best exercises are weight-bearing exercises. They put pressure on the bones forcing them to respond by increasing their mass.
Dementia: This disease involves the decline and loss of memory, problem-solving, thinking skills, and language. There are two types of dementia one being Alzheimer’s, the progressive loss of nerve cells. As of now, there is no understanding as to what causes Alzheimer’s but we do know how to reduce the likelihood of getting it. Exercise actually helps improve cognitive function, maintain brain mass, and help nerve cells communicate. That being said, exercise can reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s by 50%.
Heart
The heart is one of the most important organs of the body. The heart pumps blood through the body but it also takes oxygen supplied from the lungs and brings them to the muscles. This oxygen is used to convert food into energy. It’s so important that every cell in the body needs it. Cells use oxygen to break down sugar which is converted into energy.
Exercising improves circulation and strengthens the heart. The stronger the heart the more efficient it is at pumping blood throughout the body. It’ll be able to perform more work with less strain. This means the heart won’t stress to achieve its regular functions as unhealthy hearts do. This improved heart strength means that a healthy heart will beat slower resulting in lowered blood pressure.
Another benefit is that with improved circulation there is a lesser risk of blood clotting or blocked arteries. Great news for those who are at a higher risk for heart attacks. Exercise raises good cholesterol (HDL) levels which lower the risk of heart disease.
Regular exercise can reduce the risk of dementia by up to 30%
Brain
Exercise increases circulation and this includes blood flow to the brain. Regular exercise has been shown to increase the thickness of the cerebral cortex. This thickness is directly connected to mental speed and focus. It also increases your brain’s ability to form new neural connections. These connections are how the brain communicates, understands, learns and remembers. This means that regular exercise helps to keep your mind sharp and your memory strong.
Just like every other part of your body the brain ages. You can’t stop this but you can slow it down. In fact, exercising helps maintain a higher brain mass and reduces brain aging by up to 2.2 years. As we age our brain becomes thinner so exercise helps to support a healthy brain by maintaining a higher mass.
A great way to stay motivated is to participate in exercises that challenge your mind. The last thing you want to do is drone away on a treadmill for hours and hating every second of it. If you love the treadmill then use it. If you hate the treadmill then don’t use it. Get outside in nature and walk around the block or find local trails to explore. Try following along to Youtube exercise videos or take a class at your local gym. Explore new activities such as yoga, cycling, trekking, or dance. Exercising does not mean you have to be in the gym several hours a week. It comes in many forms such as hiking, dancing, jumping rope, boxing, or even skiing.
Lungs
Ever wonder why your breathing gets heavier during strenuous activities? It’s because your muscles are working harder than normal and require more oxygen. Oxygen is used as energy and the higher demand also means that you are creating more carbon dioxide. The lungs need to work harder to bring additional oxygen into the body and also remove carbon dioxide. When you are resting you usually breathe about 12-15 times a minute. When exercising this increases to 40-60 times a minute.
The stronger your muscles get through exercise the more efficient they become. This means that they will require less oxygen and you won’t feel as out of breath. Along with stronger muscles your lungs will be stronger too. They will have a greater capacity for oxygen and be able to handle more demand. Please note that exercising cannot reverse the damage done to the lungs from certain diseases or lifestyle choices.
Don’t ever feel afraid of exercising to the point of being out of breath. When you challenge your boundaries you are improving and strengthening your abilities. Let’s also mention that there is a difference between being out of breath and feeling like you can’t breathe. Being out of breath is breathing faster and slightly labored. Feeling like you can’t breathe is a struggle to fill your lungs with air. If you ever struggle to fill your lungs with air or are dizzy, take a break, regain composure and reduce your intensity.
It’s recommended to get 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week. This equals 2.5 hours each week.
Muscles
This might seem obvious but exercise is great for your muscles. Not everyone desires to look like a bodybuilder but that’s not exactly what we mean but muscle tone. We need muscles for movement. They stabilize us and assist with mobility. Every single step you take is driven by muscles. Climbing steps, walking, sitting down, standing up, laughing, stretching, cooking, and gardening are all performed with the help of muscles.
Just like that old saying goes, if you don’t use it you’ll lose it. The same is true for your muscles. They need to be used, exercised and nourished to keep your body in motion and capable of performing tasks. Regular exercise helps to achieve exactly this. Don’t worry too much if you don’t have access to a gym or a set of dumbbells at home. You can do simple bodyweight exercises such as plyometrics to keep your muscles strong. Moves such as push-ups, squats, jumping jacks, burpees, and lunges are all examples of bodyweight exercises. Work your way up to doing three sessions a week and focus on form first. This is important for any exercise. You want to make sure you are performing them correctly and are comfortable before thinking too much about how many reps you are doing.
Bones
Wanna know something interesting? Your bones are actually living matter and they need to be nourished to maintain their health. Exercise plays a huge role in keeping bones healthy, strong, and dense. When you perform weight-bearing exercises you put pressure on the bones. They respond to this pressure by increasing their mass. Why is this important? We want dense bones to protect vital organs and prevent breaks, fractures, and immobility. Additionally, as we age our bones become frailer and start losing their density. You can counteract this natural process by engaging in exercises that strengthen your bones.
Ideal exercises include weightlifting, hiking, jogging, dancing, resistance training, and climbing stairs. The goal is to incorporate these types of activities into your regular routines at least 3 times a week.
Weight
Weight management is not easy or the same for everyone. Some people need to work their butts off to see small results while others need to do almost nothing to maintain a regular weight. As we know, fat cells shrink but they never go away. If you were once overweight you’ll notice it’s easier and faster for you to gain some of that mass back. That’s because the cells are already there. Maintaining a regular exercise routine will help with that.
Exercise helps to speed up the metabolism and keep it burning higher several hours after an intense workout session. This increased metabolism will help you burn off extra calories and keep your body at a more regular weight. This is, of course, assuming that you are eating a proper diet. No matter how much you exercise you can never outrun a bad diet.
Mood
When you exercise regularly the body releases more hormones that directly affect your mood. The hormones released include serotonin, endorphins, and dopamine. All of these hormones have a direct impact on your overall mood and normal state of mind. This means that your mood will become more balanced and you’ll feel happy more regularly. You will also be able to manage stress more efficiently and be less bothered when faced with stressful situations. Your mind will be sharper and more clear to help guide you through trying situations.
Another bonus to the release of all these happy hormones is that exercise is also beneficial to people who have depression or anxiety. Endorphins will make you feel rewarded every time you exercise which will help you establish a regular routine. This uplifting will assist in the management of depression, sadness, anxiety, and general feelings of lack.
Balance and Coordination
Balance and coordination are probably more important then you realize. It allows your body to move freely and respond as you desire. Your smooth controlled movements are only available when you have coordination and balance. These motor skills are the reason you can walk and chew gum at the same time. Okay, so that was a joke but not really. Balance and coordination allow you to work several muscles at the same time and maintain a rhythm. Think about jumping rope. You need to swing the rope with your arms and jump at the exact moment. When you perform this activity you are using balance and coordination.
When you exercise regularly you are improving your balance and coordination. Compound movements such as jumping jacks, mountain climbers, and lunges force your body to stabilize and adapt quickly. Exercising helps to balance the body and allows for more symmetry.
