Your body responds to exercise by adjusting its function and physiology. Regular physical activity promotes cardiovascular health, prevents the onset of disease, and can improve mental health.
The Body is Built for Exercise
Evolution has molded your body into a dynamic machine. The cardiovascular and respiratory systems, for example, beautifully demonstrate the adaptive capacity of your body. In response to exercise, your heart pumps faster and harder to supply muscular tissues with oxygen and nutrients. In order to match the oxygen supply to this increasing demand, your lungs increase their rate of respiration and gas exchange. Increases in oxygen delivery to cells throughout the body give you an energy boost. As you use more energy during the day, your body is more prepared to fall into a deep sleep at night, which reduces fatigue the next day as well.
Prevention and Treatment of Disease
Many clinical disorders and syndromes can be prevented or even reversed with regular exercise. According to the Mayo Clinic, you can treat many disorders affecting circulation with aerobic exercise -- including high blood pressure, high cholesterol and atherosclerosis. Additionally, you can prevent chronic diseases affecting the skeletal system, such as osteoporosis, with weight-bearing exercise.
Metabolic Benefits
Weight loss is a common motivation for people to get on the treadmill. In addition to preventing and reversing obesity, regular exercise is an effective treatment for Type 2 diabetes. By improving your sensitivity to insulin, exercise reduces the risk of developing conditions associated with poor glucose control. These include retinal damage, peripheral nerve disease and kidney failure.
The Mind-Body Connection
Regular exercise has also been shown to improve mental health and stress. According to U.S. News and World Report, exercise increases levels of relaxing brain chemicals such as serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine. The article says you can reduce symptoms of depression with exercise as effectively as antidepressant medications because of these changes in brain chemicals, also known as neurotransmitters. Additionally, exercise induces changes in brain hormones, known as growth factors, that have been shown to produce new nerve cells and aid in forging new connections between these cells. Physical activities requiring complex coordination between muscle groups facilitate the learning process, improve attention and help you develop better concentration skills.
References
- Mayo Clinic: Exercise, 7 benefits of regular physical activity; Mayo Clinic Staff; July 2009
- U.S. News and World Report: 5 Mind-Blowing Benefits of Exercise; Deborah Kotz; June 2010
- Physical Sports Medicine: The Role of Physical Activity in type 2 diabetes prevention, physiological and practical perspectives; Burr JF, et al; April 2010
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