Why is exercise so important. Today I was scrolling through my feed and I realized that I keep seeing headlines that sound like this: Exercise proven to alleviate depression, Exercise proven to slow the signs of Alzheimer’s, Exercise proven to ease Parkinson’s…. The list goes on.
The one constant in all of this is, of course, exercise. Now, I’m not thinking that exercise alone can completely eradicate all illnesses and I do think that medicine is necessary, but I also firmly believe that exercise can go a long way to helping keep most medical diagnosis at bay.
So, obviously we all know that a healthier lifestyle means you’ll be healthier. It doesn’t take a genius to figure that out. But let’s talk about what that actually means. Let’s talk a bit about the real benefits of exercise and why you should be getting off your couch and moving every chance you get.
WHY IS EXERCISE SO IMPORTANT
BENEFITS OF EXERCISE
- Weight control
- An improved mood
- More energy
- Better health
- Helps prevent illness
- Improved sleep
You don’t have to join a gym and do the same workout that everyone else is doing. Pick a sport that you enjoy and do that. I love dance and after not having taken a ballet class for close to 14 years, I started up again precisely because I started worrying about my health. I knew it was something I could stick with, so I got out of my head, took a deep breath and went. I instantly felt 100x better and my health improved drastically within a few short months. If most of us got enough movement over the course of each day then it wouldn’t be necessary to schedule in a workout, but for those of us with more sedentary jobs it is a must!
Real the full article: DO I REALLY NEED TO WORKOUT
WHAT HAPPENS TO YOUR BODY WHEN YOU STOP
Immediately following. If you are very active, it can be good to take a break every once in a while. Depending on the intensity of your workouts, your body does need to rest as it gives your muscles a chance to repair themselves. The biggest negative is the rise in your blood pressure since working out is one of the natural ways of keeping it in check.
10-15 days later. Your endurance starts to decrease and you’ll probably find yourself getting winded at a faster rate than before. In addition, during this time you’ll also see the first signs of diminished muscle strength. You’ll probably also find that your brain becomes more sluggish (aka you become downright grumpy) during this period.
15-30 days later. During this time your muscle cells are beginning to atrophy while your fat cells are beginning to multiply which means you will notice yourself getting softer and rounder. Not only that, but your muscles will exhibit less power and your speed and agility will diminish even further. In addition to this, if you had problems with high blood pressure before starting an exercise regime, it’s very likely that your blood pressure is back up again.
Several months in. We know that regular workouts keep your body younger, so right now it’s starting to age. Your metabolism is starting to slow down, which means that you are likely gaining weight and that in turn means that you are putting more stress on your organs. If that weren’t bad enough, we just can’t ignore the psychological effects of living a sedentary lifestyle. Low self-esteem and depression can set in which puts you into a vicious downward spiral.
IF YOU DON’T HAVE A LOT OF TIME
- Increase the intensity
- Use heavier weights
- Work multiple muscle groups
- Combine cardio and strength training
- Circuit train
Even if you are just doing a short workout, make sure that you are warming up sufficiently and then following it up with a good stretching session. Not only will this be a perfect cool down for your muscles, it will also help you stay injury free.
Read the full article: HOW TO MAKE A SHORT WORKOUT COUNT
Exercise affects the brain on multiple fronts. It increases heart rate, which pumps more oxygen to the brain. It also aids the bodily release of a plethora of hormones, all of which participate in aiding and providing a nourishing environment for the growth of brain cells.
Exercise stimulates the brain plasticity by stimulating growth of new connections between cells in a wide array of important cortical areas of the brain. –BrainHq
Remember that depending on your goals, of course, your workouts don’t have to be high intensity. Everything you do that gets you off the couch and forces you to break a sweat counts.
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