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It is no secret that staying in shape is important in everyday life, and you can improve your physical being in a number of different ways. Reducing fats and sugars from your diet and choosing to eat healthily is one way.
But some people also like to exercise frequently by going to the gym, taking up interesting sports and even practising yoga and meditation. Finding different ways to get in shape is easy, but sticking to them is the hard part.
Why exactly is maintaining your physical form such a big deal?
Decreased Risk of Chronic Disease
By exercising frequently and making good choices to keep your body healthy you are actually reducing the risk of developing chronic diseases in the future.
Eating foods high in salts, saturated fats, and sugar can lead to numerous different diseases and conditions, from diabetes and gum disease to potential cancers.
Making the right choices and eating healthy can not only prevent this from happening but benefit you in other ways as well.
Improved Sleep Quality
Staying in shape improves sleep quality! If you feel drained and understimulated by your day job, it can help you relax and recharge with a vigorous workout. You will feel more awake, energetic and have the opportunity to live life with a lighter feeling.
Don’t worry about being too busy for exercise or if you are in no shape for a workout. It is never too late to start. Many people prefer to make their exercise routine in the morning because it sets the tone for a productive day.
If you do not have that much time, you can always squeeze in a ten-minute walk at noon or later in the evening.
Weight Loss Results
Losing weight can be challenging. If a person has excess weight to lose, they will face battles such as how to keep exercising and dieting without giving up too much of what they enjoy in life.
One way overweight people can lose weight is by trying jogging or running. Jogging or running is an exercise that will help a person lose weight. It does so by burning calories.
Calories in food produce energy for the body; any extra calories not used to fuel the body are stored as fat cells. To lose those fat cells, a person will have to burn more calories than they consume.
Increased Muscle and Bone Strength
Staying in shape can have a positive effect on your bones and muscles. In fact, it doesn’t take much activity at all to do some good for your musculoskeletal system. Building up your muscles and bones is like building anything else in your body.
You need the right materials, and you need to put in the effort. Muscles contract and relax, creating tension and movement. Bones support the muscles and joints, but they also help muscles extend farther than they could on their own.
Both your bones and muscles need calcium to be strong enough to do their jobs. When the two are working together, you can lift heavier objects, run faster and jump farther.
Improved Energy Levels
An often overlooked but vital component of good mental health is physical activity. The better you feel physically, the more likely you are to be able to cope with life’s stresses on a daily basis.
If a problem arises, you are likely to have the energy and physical energy to solve it. Physical exercise also has an important impact on the brain as well.
A study published in the American Journal of Cardiology showed that when animals exercised, it reached the brain area responsible for reward while they were having fun.
Increased Happiness
It’s simple really, physical activity makes people happy on an emotional level. The human body has been programmed to need physical activity as a way to stimulate and fulfill itself for the rest of its life. Even just a little bit of physical activity is enough to trigger happy chemicals in the brain, like endorphins.
Basically, our bodies are like musical instruments with strings. We can adjust the pitch, the rhythm or even add our own special tone to make it sound better.
The human body is no different. When we are physically active, our bodies release endorphins that help us feel happier and more relaxed.
Reduced Risk of Depression
Depression is a serious condition that affects millions of people. It’s usually caused by mental illness, trauma, or chemical imbalances in the brain.
Depression can lead to difficulty performing basic tasks or even suicide. But luckily, exercise may help prevent depression or reduce the impact of this illness. Scientific studies have found that exercise has a positive impact on physical and mental health.
Exercising increases serotonin and dopamine levels in the brain, which improve mood and psychological wellness. But exercise does not prevent depression.
Improved Memory & Brain Health
One of the most common memory complaints among seniors is how their minds seem to fail them during later stages of life. But new research suggests that a regular exercise routine not only helps with strength and cardiovascular health but also improves memory, too.
The study, headed by the University of California, Davis, and Stanford University showed that those who exercised regularly were able to better carry out a task at hand. This wasn’t shocking news for anyone who’s been in academia long enough.
But what was perhaps the most compelling aspect of this research is how the study’s results showed that a regular exercise routine improves memory even in people over 65.
Improved Skin Health
Research has shown that exercise can make a noticeable improvement in the skin’s condition. Exercise is known to improve blood flow, increase the release of skin-building nutrients called antioxidants, and reduce puffiness.
Exercise also increases oxygen flow to the skin’s surface, thereby increasing surface blood flow and cell renewal. This all translates into improved skin tone, increased elasticity of the skin, and a reduction in wrinkles.
Additionally, exercise improves the production of collagen and elastin, which contribute to softness and smoothness.
Improved Blood Pressure & Heart Health
For most, exercise is just another thing they have to do to stay healthy. But did you know that regular exercise can actually make your heart stronger? It starts with how it affects blood circulation.
All of your blood, and all of its components, must flow from your heart and lungs to every cell in your body. To do this they push through a special muscle called the “blood vessel.” In fact, there are thousands of miles of blood vessels just in your heart.
Keeping them healthy is vital for your heart to remain strong and healthy. As we get older, these blood vessels become stiffer, less flexible and slow down their ability to dilate or open up as needed.
Written by Joey Miller
Author at Physio Supplies, a Fitness Equipment Provider in Ireland.
