What are the health benefits of physical activity?
Getting regular exercise can improve your overall health. Certain aspects of your life that will benefit include:
- Weight maintenance
- Decreased risk of heart disease
- Decreased risk for type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome
- Reduced risk of certain cancers
- Improved muscle and bone health
- Stress reduction and overall better mental health
- Improved sexual health/performance
- Increased quality of life and longevity
Fitness is a marathon, not a race – something to bear in mind when starting a new fitness program. Just making small changes in your daily life can add up and improve your overall health. Exercise doesn’t have to require long hours at the gym. Instead, take at least 20 minutes of your day and dedicate it to exercise. Include small weight bearing exercises throughout your day, climb that flight of stairs and park farther away from the office. Go for a brisk walk during lunch or when you get home at the end of the day. Just do anything to keep your body moving!
Exercise is great for you. When it comes to exercise, starting out slow and building your way up is actually much better for you than starting full speed ahead. Doing too much, too soon, can not only leave you discouraged and overwhelmed, it can also cause some other unnecessary problems. If you go from the couch to running six miles a day, the consequences could be harmful. Too much strenuous activity, too soon, can increase your chances of a cardiac event and injury. Increasing your level of activity over a period of time will not only decrease these risks, but will also keep you motivated and less likely to burn out.
**Its always smart to consult with your doctor before starting a new exercise regimen. They can help you choose which types of exercises will be best for you.
“Deskercises”
http://greatist.com/fitness/deskercise-33-ways-exercise-work
WEIGHT MANAGEMENT
Are your clothes fitting a little more tightly than you would like? Do you see yourself dreading the summer because the fear of having to wear a bathing suit makes you want to cringe? Or are you the person that is looking to bulk up and gain muscle?There is something you can do about it! If you are looking to maintain your weight, lose weight, or even gain some weight, exercise will help you get there. You can feel more confident by shedding those unwanted pounds and create the physique you desire in less time than you think, and all while improving your health.
- Maintaining your weight: Weight maintenance is all about creating balance — having the number of calories you consume equal the number of calories you burn. For most of us, it is much easier to consume more than we burn. If you’re a person who loves to eat, like most of us, it is important to get your body moving so that you don’t add unwanted inches to your waist line. Incorporating small workouts into your daily routine will help keep those extra pounds at bay.
- Losing weight: It is said that 80% of weight loss comes from diet and the remaining 20% comes from exercise. True or not, exercise accelerates weight loss in many ways. Not only does physical activity burn calories, but it also helps keep food cravings in check while increasing your metabolism. Of course, you can’t out exercise a bad diet, but increasing your daily activity can help by allowing you to eat more throughout the day and still lose weight.
- Gaining weight: A good diet also plays a key role in gaining weight. It’s not that difficult to gain weight, but it’s the right kind of weight that you want. It’s easy to sit around and eat donuts and cake all day without lifting a finger and you’ll gain weight in no time. But what you want to gain is muscle, not fat. Doing weight bearing exercises and consuming unprocessed foods like lean proteins, vegetables, fruits and whole grains can help you achieve a better physique.
Heart Disease:
Heart Disease is the number one killer in the United States. The right kind of exercise is the best form of prevention. The CDC recommends a cardio routine that is 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise a week. Divided throughout the week, that is approximately 20 minutes a day! Those 20 minutes a day can help regulate your blood pressure and cholesterol, giving your heart the healthy support it needs.
Type II Diabetes/Metabolic Syndrome:
Type II Diabetes is caused when the body becomes insulin resistant (when your body no longer responds to insulin and is unable to utilize glucose properly). Metabolic Syndrome is characterized by having multiple risk factors, such as a high amount of visceral fat, high blood pressure, high triglycerides, high blood sugar and high cholesterol. Although both of these conditions are on the rise, there are simple things we can do to lower our risk. Incorporating exercise into daily activities can greatly reduce your chances of developing both of these conditions. And physical activity is the next best thing you can do (next to diet) tohelp manage it if you are already diagnosed. Physical activity causes muscle contractions. These contractions can cause glucose to be directly transported into the muscles so that insulin is not as heavily needed. By giving your body a break from the constant surge of insulin, it will greatly reduce your risk and/or improve your condition. Exercising at least two hours a week (moderate-intensity exercise) has been said to help control blood sugar and greatly reduce your risk of both conditions.
Cancer:
Although cancer is becoming more common, incorporating exercise into your daily life can greatly reduce the odds of having the disease. Studies have shown that physical activity helps in regulating hormones and assists in naturally detoxifying the body.By assisting your body in detoxification and reduction of fat, your body is able to take the extra time to repair itself and ward off disease.
Reducing oxidative stress (which can cause inflammation) through physical activity can combat against illness by improving the immune system. Also, by reducing the amount of fat and decreasing the likelihood of developing diabetes, you will greatly reduce your risks.
Muscle & Bone Health:
By increasing your daily physical activity, you’ll not only burn calories, but you’ll also increase your muscle mass. Having additional muscle causes the body to burn more calories even at rest. So if the weight management benefits aren’t appealing enough, your joints and bones will also thank you. Bone fractures become a growing problem as we age, so taking the proper measures to reduce your risk is essential.
- Arthritis – Low impact exercises are very beneficial when it comes to arthritis management and prevention. Keeping your your body in motion helps reduce the probability of joints becoming stiff and can improve your overall range of motion.“A body in motion, stays in motion” is absolutely true. Also, being at a healthy weight decreases the pressure on certain arthritis targeted joints (like the knees and hips). Being at a lower weight helps alleviate the pressure that excess fat would put on those particular joints.
- Bone Fractures – As we age, our bones become weaker, so maintaining enough muscle can reduce your chances of injury. Having enough muscle mass will not only help protect your bones, but it will also reduce the pressure that we put on them daily. Doing weight bearing exercises will help increase muscle mass as well as bone density. With falls being one of the biggest causes of injury for people over 65, exercising to increase strength, flexibility and balance will greatly decrease your odds of bone fractures.
Mental Health:
Mental health disorders are on the rise but, like many other conditions, your mental health can be greatly improved through exercise! Exercise releases neurotransmitters called endorphins – feel good chemicals produced by the brain. As little as 20 minutes of semi-vigorous walking can cause this reaction to occur in the brain. Although moderate-intensity exercise like jogging and cycling are more beneficial, any physical activity is great, especially when it comes to stress reduction.
Whether it’s a more relaxed workout like taking a walk, or if it’s taking your aggression out in a kick boxing class, anything that gets you moving will help ease stress and ward off mental anguish. Instead of reaching for those brownies at the end of a strenuous day to help calm your nerves, take a long walk instead. The CDC says that a “mix of aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities three to five times a week for 30 to 60 minutes can give you these mental health benefits.” So exercise is not only good for the body but also great for the mind!
Sexual Health:
Having good heart health and blood circulation is key when it comes to producing a healthy erection. As we age, testosterone levels tend to drop, which can cause a change in your ability to perform. However, exercise can greatly reduce your chance of having this experience. The cardiovascular benefits that are produced during physical activity help regulate blood flow and decrease your odds of a cardiovascular event. Research has found that men who got moderate physical activity throughout the week were far less likely to suffer from sexual dysfunction than the men who lived a more sedentary lifestyle.
Longevity:
Since men on average have a shorter lifespan, it’s especially important for them to take care of their health. Life is short enough, but exercise can help you live it to the fullest! Whether it’s from the cardiovascular benefits, helping with stress management, weight control, or the million other disease fighting benefits, exercise is one of the best things you can do for yourself. One study has said that those who “exercise up to 7 hours a week had a 40 percent lower risk of dying early than those who are active for less than 30 minutes a week” (CDC). It doesn’t matter the age, shape, or ethnicity, exercise can improve everyone’s life.