Working out doesn't have to be a full-time commitment. All it takes is just 30 minutes per day, reports the National Institutes of Health. Exercise regularly as part of your everyday routine and you will experience health benefits that touch on every area of your body, including your brain.
Bone Health
Osteoporosis affects everyone, not just women, and most people will start to experience bone mass loss after age 30. If you're over 20, constant, daily exercise --- specifically, resistance-based, strength-increasing exercises such as lifting weights --- strengthens bones and reduces the rate at which they lose mass.
Weight Control
Being overweight doesn't just change your body image and influence your wardrobe decisions, but it also reduces your quality of life and overall health. Regular exercise enhances both weight control and weight loss. The best exercises to lose weight revolve around cardio, aerobic exercises like running and swimming.
Mental Health
Regular exercise improves general mental health, in part because exercising encourages the release of mood-boosting hormones. While not an immediate effect, several weeks of vigorous exercise reduces anxiety and improves depression.
Reduced Cancer Risk
Exercise influences various components in the body, including the release and efficacy of various biological hormones such as estrogen. The National Cancer Institute reports that regular exercise can reduce the risk of various forms of cancer, including breast, endometrial and lung cancers.
Reduced Metabolic Disorder Risk
The risk of contracting health problems like metabolic syndrome, which cause other problems like weight gain and type 2 diabetes, drops when you exercise regularly. If you already have type 2 diabetes, exercise helps control its symptoms, reports the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Cardiovascular Health
When it comes to heart disease and other cardiovascular problems, your activity levels act as one of the chief risk factors. Constant exercise improves general cardiovascular health, including lower blood pressure and a 45 percent less risk of developing heart disease compared with people who don't exercise.
Stronger Muscles
Resistance, load-bearing exercises such as bodybuilding encourage the strengthening and bulking up of muscle fibers. While this boosts your general physique and self-image, it also has health benefits like better balance and a reduced risk of falling, which is critical for senior citizens.
Immune System Boost
Aerobic exercises such as jogging, walking your dog and jumping rope stimulates your general immune system. This keeps you healthier and makes you more immune to the common cold and other viral sicknesses.
Smoking Cessation
When it comes to addictions such as smoking, quitting can be extremely difficult. Constant exercise can help distract and refocus the brain and improve your success at quitting the habit.
Faster Recovery
In general, exercise can help people overcome past health obstacles and experience faster recovery and improved well-being. For example, in those who have cancer and are undergoing cancer treatments, regular exercise can help overcome treatment-related symptoms and increase their chances of survival. Similarly, aerobic exercises can help prevent subsequent health problems in someone who's already had a heart disease issue, such as a heart attack.
References
- National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases: Exercise and Physical Fitness
- Osteoporosis and Related Bone Diseases National Resource Center; Exercise for Your Bone Health; January 2009
- U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Physical Activity and Health; February 16, 2011
- MayoClinic.com; Aerobic Exercise: Top 10 Reasons to Get Physical; February 2011
- Arizona State University; The Influence of Exercise on Mental Health; Arizona State University
- National Cancer Institute; Physical Activity and Cancer; July 2009
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