Rarely are people ambivalent when it comes to working out. Some people can’t wait to go out for a run or hit the gym. On the other hand, there are folks that dread even a minute of exercise. Well, if you’re in the second group, reading this article is pretty important. Exercise is incredibly beneficial. It does wonders for your health, your mental wellbeing, and yes, your looks. Even if you enjoy it, missing a workout means not getting the full benefits from working out. Check out the article below and see the 20 great reasons why you should put in the work and get your heart pumping.
Exercise and Your Health
Our first set of items is all about the direct health-related benefits you get from working out. They’ll explain how exercise can help you become healthier and live a life with fewer visits to the doctor’s office.
1. Regulates metabolism
Metabolism is a set of crucial chemical reactions in the human body. Its improper functioning can lead to several diseases, such as diabetes type 2, which can lead to serious problems. If diabetes is not treated, it can lead to death.
Exercise helps the regulation of naturally produced insulin. Irregularity in insulin production is the reason why diabetes appears. When body muscles are active, they create a series of chemical reactions that balance insulin production.
2. Reduces blood pressure
When you run or do some other physical activity, more blood is pumped in and out of your heart. With it, you speed up your heartbeat. The heart is a muscle, and regular exercise makes muscles stronger, which makes them work better.
When the heart manages to pump the blood without too much effort, it means the blood pressure is normal. If your heart is weak or struggles to pump blood, the force on the arteries is higher, which increases the pressure – and that’s how you get high blood pressure.
3. Takes care of the immune system
Physical activity is an excellent way to flush the toxins from your body and help your immune system. Among all the toxins disappearing through the sweat, there are also bacteria from the lungs and the airways. Also, during heavy exercise, your body temperature rises above the average level. This action can kill some of the bacteria and prevent them from becoming a threat to the system.
According to studies, just 20 minutes of exercise is enough to reduce inflammation and improve immunity. Workout provokes change in antibodies and white cells, which are the primary weapons of the human immune system against bacteria, viruses, and other threats.
4. Reduces body fat
An indirect cause of many health problems, including strokes, is the human body fat created by unhealthy food and lack of physical activity.
When you exercise, your body uses oxygen for maintaining primary body functions, leaving no room for metabolizing fatty acids. Furthermore, exercise makes your body use the calories and fat reserves to provide fuel to the body, making it spend everything that you’ve consumed previously: no excess calories, no need for creating fat.
5. Prevents Alzheimer’s and boosts your memory
The cause of Alzheimer’s disease is the death of neurons in the brain. Exercise is linked with keeping the entire body healthier, and the same goes for the neurons. Keeping them active for an extended period gives you an advantage in the battle against Alzheimer’s.
When it comes to memory, research proves that exercise affects the brain center for memory. Just moderate walking can help your hippocampus stay vital and healthy.
6. Lowers anxiety and stress
Stress is an inevitable part of our lives. The tempo of life is too fast, and there’s no way to slow it down. However, most people have learned to manage it. One of the many forms of reducing stress is exercise.
Stress is created in the brain’s neurons, which react to the perceptions coming from the outside world. The neurons give the rest of the body the same information. The bad thing about stress is that it is linked to many diseases. Neurons transmit the information of stress to the rest of the organs, and this affects their function.
Workout stimulates the production of endorphins. Endorphins improve the ability to sleep and act as natural painkillers, which, combined, act as a perfect way to reduce stress. Constant exposure to stress and doing nothing about it will make you severely anxious, so exercise is the best way to get rid of anxiety too.
7. Regulates the sleep-wake cycle
It’s easy to understand how exercise and sleep are connected. The simplest explanation is that work makes you tired; it drains the body fuel generated during the day and tires the body.
The natural human clock that tells you when it is time to go to sleep, also known as circadian rhythm, can sometimes be off. Exercise helps get it back to normal by telling the body and the brain when they both need rest. That’s why it’s best to work out during the day and never right before going to bed.
8. Can help with arthritic problems
There are a lot of different types of exercises. Jogging, lifting weights, fitness, etc. However, there’s also stretching and yoga. These last two can be very beneficial for those who are suffering from arthritis or want to reduce the chance of it.
Arthritis is the swelling of bones and joints, and traditional exercise can only make it worse. Instead, one should be paying more attention to activities that are not going to put pressure on the joints and muscles but will keep the body in shape.
9. Improves the function of the lungs
When a person exercises, they increase their oxygen intake by around three times more than usual. Depending on the workout, some muscles are stimulated to grow more. However, every exercise needs the lungs to constantly expand and accept the fresh air inside. The lung muscles do this task. Regular workout stimulates the work of these muscles, making your lungs work better.
10. Builds muscles
Most human muscles are going to get atrophied if the person isn’t using them enough. On the other hand, constant use will make them grow in size and strength. When you’re done with the exercise, the muscles need rest and regeneration. That’s when the body uses cellular processes that bond the damaged fibers of the muscle, forming new strains. In other words, damaging those fibers and forcing the body to keep on fixing them is a good thing.
11. Makes the body recover from injuries faster
Having your body in perfect shape means that it is able to repair muscles fast, create white cells fast, and have all the processes inside work at optimal speed. This means that if you get injured or have surgery, the system will need less time to recover.
12. Helps you be more flexible
Before heavy workouts, athletes regularly stretch. They do this to improve the flexibility of the joints and the muscles. Regular stretching can reduce any chances of injuries. Life puts us in all kinds of situations every day. We can’t always be ready for everything. Instead of breaking an ankle, a regular exercise will give your body strength and flexibility to withstand the potential impact.
Exercise and Wellbeing
Aside from the many health reasons why you should exercise regularly, some are more than just a health improvement. Here are some of them:
13. Makes you more productive
Most successful people find time to exercise. The reason for this is the link between productivity and exercise. When a person is active, the body releases endorphins that raise the level of happiness. Happiness equals less stress, which means that it’s easier to focus on the important issues instead of those giving you a hard time.
Another important thing is that exercise improves metabolism. All the processes in the body are happening at a faster pace, meaning that you’re getting more oxygen to the brain, which results in better focus and being more productive.
14. Helps you manage your weight
No one likes being overweight or obese. Still, food these days is so tasty, it’s not always easy to say no to it. On top of this, it is full of unhealthy ingredients that make us gain weight slowly but surely.
Exercise is responsible for burning these ingredients by using them as fuel for every physical activity. When we work out, the body burns the calories consumed. When there’s nothing left to burn, it starts digging into the reserves that our system keeps for “rainy days.”
In short, regular workouts will improve our muscle tone and burn all the fat that is making us overweight.
15. Makes you happier
The feeling of happiness is a mix of chemical reactions and proper hormone work. The four most important hormones are dopamine, serotonin, endorphins, and oxytocin. Exercise impacts all four.
Most people use short-term solutions like candy, alcohol, and other addictive substances, but this is completely opposite of what is supposed to be done. The mentioned solutions are going to make the person feel good for a moment. Still, the chemical reactions in the body following the consumption create processes that affect the production of these four hormones.
To enhance the hormones’ effect, you need to get yourself in motion. Exercise increases their production, and even if you feel tired and unhappy for a moment, the outcome of the regular workout will be visible long after you finish the daily routine.
16. Boosts your self-esteem
Since exercise burns calories and builds muscles, it’s clear that a fit body is inevitable after some time. Still, a great body requires the person working out to stick to a healthy diet plan as well.
Most people try to reach certain goals overtime just to stay motivated. Lifting more weight, running faster or longer, etc. Achieving these goals makes a person feel proud of themselves. The feeling of pride gives them an instant self-esteem boost. Self-esteem is important in everyone’s life. It is important for getting a good job, being with the person you love, and simply being comfortable in your own skin.
17. Nurtures your skin
The increased heart rate during exercise makes the blood flow faster, which makes your body receive more oxygen. This process is useful for many parts of the body, and it is also good for the skin. Faster circulation increases collagen production and helps replace dead skin cells, which makes the skin look fresh and young.
Also, sweating helps with clearing the pores on the skin, making your skin breathe better and stay healthy. Lots of toxins come out through the pores daily, so they need proper care, or else they’ll clog.
18. Improves sex life
Studies show that exercise is directly linked to better sex. All parts of it are included – satisfaction, performance, and sexual desire.
The study shows that men who exercise have a higher sex drive and a better sexual function. Women also experience more satisfaction after just 20 minutes of workout. Again, the secret is behind the improved blood flow, which is the key to the perfect functioning of the reproductive system.
19. Increases your life span
According to exercise statistics, people who exercise live longer. Regular exercise lowers the chance of premature death by 30%. The benefits of daily workouts also reduce the chance of cardiac diseases by 35%, cuts the chance of developing type 2 diabetes by half, and gives a 68% lower chance of breaking a hip at an old age.
20. Makes you more focused
Some people work on tasks that require a much better focus than average. Athletes also need high levels of focusing abilities if they want to achieve success. All of them must exercise to ensure that their mind is able to focus at the required level.
A lot of studies, mainly performed on children, showed that kids who engage in physical activity more have a longer attention span, concentrate better, and manage to ignore distractions while performing more important tasks.
Final Words
Most people have a different reason for exercising. Some do it because of health, and others simply love spending time jogging or going to the gym. Whatever it is, the outcome is always positive.
As you can see from these 20 reasons why you should never skip a day of exercise, by improving one part of your life, at the same time, you’d be working on something else too. Exercise gives you a feeling of success, and it helps your body remain healthier for a while longer.
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