Studies have shown that regular activity can improve our quality of life.
There are many benefits to regular physical activity and exercise. For example, it can make us feel better, improve our health with immediate as well as long-term health benefits and even reduce the risk of developing various diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease.
We have evolved from nomadic ancestors who hunted all day for food and travelled long distances to look for suitable places to live. We are not designed to stand in the same position in front of a conveyor belt or sit in front of a computer all day long and this is why over time people can develop physical and health problems if they do not find a way to exercise to keep our bodies and mind healthy.
The health benefits of regular exercise and physical activity are hard to ignore. Everyone benefits from exercise, regardless of age, sex or physical ability. It would be fair to say that keeping active and being fit is one of the simplest and most effective golden tips for physical well-being, yet it is one of the most overlooked, underutilized and often completely disregarded recommendations.
The benefits of regular exercise
The benefits brought by regular exercise and maintaining fitness are many. Exercise not only makes us physically fitter but it also improves our mental health and general sense of well-being.
Physiological benefits:
- Boosts energy levels
Exercise improves not only the strength but also the efficiency of our cardiovascular system to get the oxygen and nutrients to your muscles. When our cardiovascular system works better, we have more energies, we feel better overall and everything seems easier.
- Improves strength and flexibility
Staying active helps keeping joints, tendons and ligaments flexible and promotes stronger bones and muscles lowering the risk of developing osteoporosis. This is very important as it allows us to move more easily without injury. Strong muscles and ligaments are also very important in reducing the risk of joint and lower back pain.
- It’s good for your heart
It strengthens the heart muscle and lowers blood pressure hence lowering the stress on your heart and reducing the risk of a heart attack. Exercise also lowers blood cholesterol level as it reduces the bad LDL cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein) that clogs our arteries while increasing the good HDL cholesterol (high-density lipoprotein) keeping our blood flowing smoothly while decreasing the risk of cardiovascular diseases. A regular physical activity combined with a healthy diet lowers the risk of developing coronary heart disease.
- Helps maintaining a healthy weight
Exercise can help prevent excess weight gain and help maintain weight loss. Not only exercising in itself burns calories but as we develop more muscle the higher our metabolic rate becomes, so we burn more calories even when we’re not exercising.
- Improves brain function
Exercise increases blood flow and oxygen levels in the brain, it encourages the release of brain chemicals (hormones) that are responsible for the production of cells in the hippocampus, which is the part of the brain that controls memory and learning, and boosts concentration levels and cognitive ability. Interestingly it also helps reduce the risk of Alzheimer, a cognitive degenerative diseases.
Psychological benefits:
- Boosts self confidence
As our physical appearance improves our self-esteem and confidence are boosted.
- Improves your mood
During exercise, endorphins is released which make you feel better and more relaxed. These in turn improve our mood leaving us feeling happier, more relaxed and less anxious hence lowering our stress levels.
- Improves the quality of our sleep
Physical activity makes us more tired meaning that when we go to sleep we fall asleep faster, we get better and deeper sleep. One of the benefits of a good night sleep is that it helps improve overall wellness and can reduce stress.
- Helps prevent and treat mental illnesses like depression
As we have seen above, physical activity can boost our self-esteem, lift our mood by changing the levels of chemicals such as serotonin, endorphins and stress hormones in our brain and improve our sleep patterns. It can also help us cope with frustration, reduce our stress levels by blocking negative thoughts and distracting us from our daily worries and leave us with a sense of achievement. On top of that, exercise in places where there are other people (a gym, a park, running thru a town) can provide an opportunity for increased social contact and provide some time for ourselves. A time to recharge, to reflect and restore ourselves. All of which help with fighting depression.
General well-being benefits:
- Enhances the immune system
Because exercise improves the ability of the body to pump the oxygen and nutrients around, our body can then fuel the cells that fight bacteria and viruses more actively.
- Boosts your sex life
As mentioned above, regular physical activity can improve energy levels and physical appearance, which in turn can boost sex life. Data also shows that while regular physical activity may enhance arousal for women, in men who exercise regularly it can result in less erectile dysfunctional problems than in men who don’t exercise.
- Reduces the chance of developing some degenerative bone diseases
The risks of being affected by osteoarthritis and osteoporosis are reduced by regular physical activity such as running, walking or weight exercise.
- Lowers the risk of developing type 2 diabetes
Regular exercise helps prevent obesity, which is a primary factor in the development of type 2 diabetes. This is because it helps to control blood glucose levels, which in turns helps to prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes.
- Helps to reduce the risk of certain cancers
Studies by the Seattle Cancer Research Centre have suggested that 35% of all cancer deaths are linked to being overweight and sedentary. This suggests that being fit may lower the risks of colon cancer, breast cancer and possibly also lung and endometrial cancers.
Suggested physical activity guidelines
According to the World Health Organization and widely accepted by health professionals, researchers and various health organizations worldwide, the general rule is that, if maintained, 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity a week (for example: 30 minutes 5 days a week) should enable a person to realise most of the health benefits.
Although it is better to be active on most, preferably all, days every week, evidence shows us that 30 minutes of exercise 5 days a week is better than 30 minutes of exercise 3 days a week but it also shows us that a 10 minutes vigorous intensity session is better than a 10 minutes moderate intensity session.
It also important to understand that doing any physical activity is better than doing none. So, if you currently do no physical activity at all, in order to start feeling the benefits of exercise, you will need to start by doing some, and gradually build up to the recommended amount.
It is also important to mix and vary the type of exercise to avoid injury, to keep fitness levels and to ensure we look after strengthening as well as stretching our muscles.
The importance of implementing a regular physical activity within our daily lives
My aim is to show you the evidence of the increase in benefits between being active and inactive, for example in terms of physical autonomy and independence later on in life, and of how exercising affects the brain. I will also provide you with empirical evidence on how exercise can slow the progression of diseases and even prevent them.
I will show you that exercising does not need to cost a fortune and that activities such as walking not only are free but have also been shown to be very effective to our level of fitness even when compared to other physical activities. Exercising and being fit does not need to result in expensive gym memberships. Willingness is simply all we need. Increases in daily activity can come from small changes made throughout our day, for example getting off the public transport a stop earlier and walking the rest of the way or preferring to walk or cycle instead of taking the car.
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| Disclaimer: it is important you check with your doctor, specialist and/or qualified personal trainer before starting a new exercise program, especially if you haven’t exercised for a long time, have chronic health problems, such as heart disease, diabetes or arthritis, or you have any concerns. Although at Wellness & Purpose you can find many exercise and physical activity guidelines to implement in your daily life to promote wellness, in some case a one-to-one session with a specialist in his/her field is needed to prevent the risk of injury and harm. |
