14 Astonishing Benefits of Exercise : You Will Probably Start Working Out Today.

We all know exercise is good for health but it is also important to realize actually how powerful exercises are. It has numerous health benefits. Exercise has the power to improve one’s optimal health, looking good, feeling good and also help in a number of ways to fight illness.

Overall, exercise gives the power to live longer, happier and healthier. In this article we will discuss about some of the more important and time tested benefits of exercise.

I have no doubt that once you have gone through this article, you will not be able to resist taking the next step and start a positive change in your life by making exercise a part of your daily routine.

And what is exercise? We often tend to confuse the terms Exercise’ with ‘Physical Activity’. Well, let us first be clear about the two terms.

While ‘Physical Activity’ is any activity which include doing household chores, job, sports etc., which make us move our body & burn calories, ‘Exercise’ or ‘Workout’ on the other hand is physical activity which is planned, structured and repetitive.

The next question is, how much time one is expected to spend exercising? It is recommended that for overall health benefits it should be enough as long as one burns at least 1200-2000 calories a week which is equivalent to 30 minutes of brisk walk at 6 Kmph at the lower side.

Benefits of Exercise

Exercise boosts Mental Wellness: Regular exercise/workout is known to relieve tension, depression, anxiety and make you calmer. One notices an immediate ‘feel good’ sensation and general well being as exercise becomes a part of lifestyle.

1. Feel Happier: It is well known that exercise peps up one’s mood and it is only because exercise releases the feel-good chemicals known as Endorphins – serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine - but also the sense & feeling of achievement that a routine is capable of providing.

2. Anti-depressant: The endorphins released by exercise help reduce the feeling of pain & increases the positive feelings and thereby acts as a natural antidepressant.

3. Lower Anxiety: Exercise is an effective way to reduce anger and outbursts. Whenever you get irritated, just go for a workout or simply take a walk. Once you exercise, it will immediately give you an outlet to release your emotions.

4. Stress Buster: The ‘feel good’ chemicals released by exercise are natural stress-busters. Exercise gives a perspective taking your mind off the matters stressing you out.

5. Self-esteem booster: Exercise is a great way to build your confidence & self-esteem. You will be amazed to find out what your body is capable of doing, be it running, weightlifting or simply the way you look at things. You will feel a sense of comfort in whatever you do.

6. Better Sleep: Regular exercise helps the quality of your sleep. One falls asleep faster and sleeps longer. Following an exercise routine for even a few weeks helps one to improve the quality of sleep, thereby improving one’s overall mood.

7. Brain function optimizer: Exercise improves blood flow to the brain and increases mitochondria to the brain cells which consequently makes the brain resistant to mental fatigue.

Exercise improves physical wellness: Excessive sedentary lifestyle carry the risk of various illnesses & diseases. Regular exercise prolongs optimal health by reducing the risk of diseases & health problems. Exercise has the power to reduce or even eliminate many preventable health concerns to prolong a healthy life.

1. Heart Disease: One of the foremost risk factors of an inactive lifestyle is heart disease. Practically any sort of physical exercise is able to strengthen the heart and keep the artery walls flexible.

2. Lower Cholesterol Level: Those having high cholesterol, regular exercise will help raise HDL (good cholesterol) and lower LDL (bad cholesterol) and consequently maintain a healthy cholesterol level.

3. High Blood Pressure: For people having high blood pressure, regular exercise is a great idea to lower blood pressure. Regular exercise makes the heart stronger. A stronger heart pumps more blood with less effort and use less force on the arteries and thereby reduces blood pressure.

4. Diabetes: Exercise plays a crucial part in controlling & preventing diabetes as it helps control amount of glucose in the body by aiding the body to use insulin, improve functions of various organs and improve blood supply to all part of the body.

5. Osteoporosis: One of the best prevention for osteoporosis is strength training. It also helps improve bone density. If one already has osteoporosis, strength training exercises help maintain bone mass and density.

6. Alzheimer’s disease: It is said that one of the best ways to combat Alzheimer’s disease is regular exercise. The hippocampus is one of the first regions in the brain that is affected by Alzheimer’s. Regular exercise helps protect this region.

7. Arthritis: Regular exercise strengthens the muscles around the joints. increases flexibility & strength and consequently helps in easing pain and stiffness. Absence of exercise makes the stiffness & pain worse.

You now know the power of exercise. With regular exercise, you will not only feel better and happier, you will live a longer and better quality of life. Aim for 30 minutes a day - you may do it either in one session or in 10 minutes stint. You may like to include either aerobic or resistance training.