Some people are motivated to hit the gym in pursuit of a better body, while others work out improve their overall health. There are numerous reasons to begin an exercise program, with the top reasons being weight loss, decreased risk of diseases, increased energy levels and the ability to better deal with stress. Whatever your reason for exercising, regular physical activity benefits your physical and mental health in countless ways.
Lose Weight and Look Better
Achieving a better body can’t be accomplished without exercise. Aerobic exercise such as walking, running, swimming, bicycling and dancing will help you burn calories and shed body fat. Anaerobic exercise such as strength training can help you build lean muscle mass and create a toned, athletic look. To lose weight, the U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends 60 minutes of exercise most days. Get your daily dose through walking, playing tag with your children, lifting weights, jogging or a combination of your favorite activities that gets your heart pumping.
Decrease Your Risk of Diseases
People who exercise are typically healthier than sedentary people. Regular exercise has been proven to lower the risk of diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity and certain cancers including colon cancer and breast cancer. The Centers for Disease Control suggests that adults perform at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise or 75 minutes of high-intensity aerobic exercise combined with two full-body strength training sessions per week to reduce your risk of diseases. If you’re currently sedentary, however, adding even small amounts of exercise to start can help with disease prevention. Slowly increase the amount of activity each day until you meet the guidelines for disease prevention.
Increase Energy and Feel Better
A 2008 study published in the Swiss journal "Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics" showed that, among a group of 36 non-exercisers plagued with fatigue, three weekly 20-minute exercise sessions increased energy levels by 20 percent. Furthermore, the people who exercised reported feeling significantly less fatigued than those in the control group who did not exercise. In addition to boosting energy levels, exercise also releases endorphins, or “feel good” neurotransmitters that elevate your mood and combat pain.
Manage Stress
Exercise is important for mental health as well as physical well-being. Regular physical activity can help us deal with stress, anxiety and other negative emotions and channel our problems into a positive outlet. A 2011 study published in the "Journal of Neuroscience" found that mice that were given the opportunity to use exercise wheels and run through tunnel systems in their cages before being confronted with larger “alpha” mice withstood the mental stress much better than those who were not given the opportunity to exercise. Exercise is thought to help you become more resilient to stress by activating the prefrontal cortex, an area of the brain involved in processing emotions, as well as the amygdale, the part of the brain that handles fear and anxiety. According to Dr. Michael Lehmann, a researcher at the National Institute of Mental Health and the leader of the study, moderate amounts of any exercise you enjoy can give you stress-busting benefits.
References
- U.S. Department of Agriculture; Steps to a Healthier Weight; May 12, 2011
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Physical Activity for Everyone: Reduce Your Risk of Some Cancers; February 16, 2011
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Physical Activity for Everyone: How Much Physical Activity do Adults Need?; March 30, 2011
- “The New York Times”; The Cure for Exhaustion? More Exercise; Parker-Pope, Tara; February 29, 2008
- MayoClinic.com; Get Moving to Combat Stress; July 23, 2010
- “Journal of Neuroscience”; Environmental Enrichment Confers Stress Resiliency to Social Defeat through an Infralimbic Cortex-Dependent Neuroanatomical Pathway; Lehmann, Michael L. et al.; April 20, 2011
