Do you want to feel better, have more energy and even add years to your life? Just exercise.
It's hard to ignore the health benefits of regular exercise and physical activity. Everyone benefits from exercise, regardless of age, gender or physical ability.
Do you need more persuasion to move? Check out these seven ways exercise can help you be happier and healthier.
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1. Exercise to control weight
Exercise can help prevent excessive weight gain or help maintain weight loss. When you do physical activity, you burn calories. The higher the intensity of the activity, the more calories you burn.
Regular trips to the gym are great, but don't worry if you don't find a lot of time to exercise every day. Any amount of activity is better than no activity at all. To reap the benefits of exercise, be more active throughout the day: Take the stairs instead of the elevator, or speed up the chores. Consistency is key.
2. Exercise fights health conditions and diseases
Worried about heart disease? Hoping to prevent high blood pressure? No matter your current weight, being active raises high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, the "good" cholesterol, and lowers unhealthy triglycerides. This double whammy keeps the blood flowing smoothly, reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Regular exercise helps prevent or manage many health problems and concerns, including:
a race
metabolic syndrome
high blood pressure
Type 2 diabetes
depression
Anxiety
Many types of cancer
arthritis
the fall
It can also help improve cognitive function and help reduce the risk of death from all causes.
3. Exercise improves mood
Do you need an emotional boost? Or do you need to de-stress after a stressful day? A gym session or a brisk walk can help. Physical activity stimulates various chemicals in the brain that can make you feel happy, relaxed and less anxious.
You can also feel better about your appearance and yourself when you exercise regularly, which can boost your confidence and improve your self-esteem.
4. Exercise increases energy
Breathless from grocery shopping or household chores? Regular physical activity can improve your muscle strength and increase your endurance.
Exercise provides oxygen and nutrients to tissues and helps the cardiovascular system to function more efficiently. And when the health of your heart and lungs improves, you have more energy to handle everyday tasks.
5. Exercise helps you sleep better
Is it hard for you to sleep? Regular physical activity can help you fall asleep faster, sleep better, and sleep more soundly. Just don't exercise too close to bedtime, or you may have too much energy to go to sleep.
6. Exercise rekindles your sex life
Feeling too tired or unfit to enjoy physical intimacy? Regular physical activity can improve energy levels and boost your confidence in your physical appearance, which may improve your sex life.
But there is more than that. Regular physical activity can increase arousal in women. And men who exercise regularly are less likely to have erectile dysfunction problems than men who do not exercise.
7. Exercise can be fun...and social!
Exercise and physical activity can be fun. It gives you the opportunity to relax and enjoy the outdoors or simply take part in activities that make you happy. Physical activity can also help you connect with family or friends in a fun social environment.
So take a dance class, go hiking, or join a soccer team. Find a physical activity that you enjoy and just do it. boredom? Try something new or do something with friends or family.
The end result of the exercise
Exercise and physical activity are great ways to feel better, improve your health, and have fun. For most healthy adults, the US Department of Health and Human Services recommends the following exercise guidelines:
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