Dipo Olowookere
Exercise is any movement that works out your muscles to help burn excess calories in your body. This can include dancing, walking, jogging, running, swimming, etc. Being active has many health benefits, both mentally and physically. An 11 minute-session of exercise each day can even help you live longer and happily. But remember to confirm with physical therapy or medical clinic in your area with the help of this site by clicking here. This is important, particularly if you have chronic health problems like arthritis, diabetes, or heart disease or if you have any questions or concerns.
Here are the seven benefits of regular physical activities for your brain and body.
1. Helps With Weight Loss
Being inactive might lead to obesity and excess weight gain. You need to know the relationship between energy expenditure and exercise. This can help you understand the effects of exercise on weight reduction. Your body spends energy in three ways:
- Exercising
- Digesting food
- Maintaining body functions like breathing and heartbeat
A reduced calorie intake lowers your metabolic rate, temporarily delaying weight loss. While regular exercise can increase your metabolic rate, which helps you burn more calories to help in weight reduction.
Moreover, aerobic exercises can help maximize muscle mass maintenance and fat loss. This helps keep the weight off and maintains lean muscle mass.
2. Combats Health Diseases and Conditions
Being active enhances the production of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and decreases unhealthy triglycerides. This helps keep your blood flowing smoothly and decreases your risk of cardiovascular diseases. Additionally, exercise helps prevent many health concerns and problems like:
- Stroke
- Anxiety
- Arthritis
- Depression
- Type 2 Diabetes
- Metabolic syndrome
- High blood pressure
It might also boost cognitive function and lower the risk of death from all mentioned conditions.
3. Improves Mood
A brisk walk or a gym session can improve your emotions after a stressful day. Physical activities stimulate various brain chemicals that might leave you feeling happier, less anxious, and more relaxed. You might also feel better about your appearance, which helps boost your confidence.
4. Improves Sex Drive
Exercising is an essential factor for sexual health. It’s normal to experience changes in sex urge throughout your life. But this can be a concern and difficult to address. Fortunately, exercise can increase sex drive, pleasure, and performance.
5. Improves Your Brain Health and Memory
Exercise helps improve brain function and boost your memory. It increases your heart rate, ensuring oxygen and blood flow to your brain. It might also stimulate the production of hormones that boost the growth of brain cells.
Moreover, exercise helps prevent chronic ailments that can affect your brain functioning. Older adults need to exercise because aging, combined with oxidative inflammation and stress, boosts brain function. It causes the hippocampus, a part of the brain that’s crucial for learning and memory, to grow in size. This can help improve mental function and structure in older adults.
Lastly, exercise helps reduce changes in the brain that might cause conditions like dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
6. Strengthens Your Muscles/Bones
You should protect your muscles, joints, and bones as you age. These parts support your body and help in exercise. Muscle-strengthening activities such as weight lifting might help you maintain or increase your muscle strength and mass. This is important for older adults experiencing reduced muscle strength and muscle mass with aging.
7. Improves Your Ability to do Daily Activities and Prevent Falls
Being unable to perform daily activities is referred to as functional limitation. Physically active people have a lower risk of functional limitation than inactive people.
For older people, being physically active decreases the risk of falls. Hip fracture is a painful health condition that might result from a fall. That’s why you must undertake multicomponent physical activities like balance training, muscle strengthening, and aerobics.
How Long Should I Exercise?
You need a minimum of 150 minutes of regular exercise every week. But if you want to increase the seven benefits listed above, aim for about an hour-a-day exercise. But start small as you work up to this.
You also don’t have to practice all your exercises at one time. Twenty minutes, three times a day, makes an hour. Fit into your day some short exercise breaks as they eventually provide the same benefits as long sessions.
Remember to focus on exercises you enjoy. Exercising with your kids, friends, grandkids, or spouse is fun and sets an example for a lifetime of good well-being.
Conclusion
Adopting a new exercise routine might feel intimidating. It’s challenging to form a new habit. Set yourself for success by creating an easy-to-follow plan. You aren’t late to start improving your health.
