SHARES
Are you looking to reduce the risk of disease? Do you want to look and feel better physically as well as mentally? Do you want to keep doing activities that you enjoy doing, all through your life?
If your answer to any/all of the above questions is yes, then the mode by which you can achieve this is through, you correctly guessed, EXERCISE!!
Making physical exercise a part of your day-to-day chores will help you achieve all that you wish for. It has been proven that physical activity is important to avoid and also decrease the risk of several diseases and also improve mental and physical health. Do you wish to add years to your life? Physical exercise will help you achieve that.
Physical activity also keeps you in shape so you can enjoy leisure activities and safely perform work and home chores. It offers great mental and social benefits as well.
What does a lack of physical activity or exercising – a sedentary lifestyle, leave us with?
- Anxiety, depression, stress
- Developing conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, heart diseases, obesity and osteoporosis which could otherwise have been preventable
- Premature death
Scientists state that having a sedentary lifestyle with almost 0% physical activity is even more deadly than smoking.
What are the conditions that exercising can help to prevent?
Research suggests that regular exercising can help prevent or reduce the risk of the following conditions:
- High Blood Pressure
- Heart disease
- Stroke
- Type 2 diabetes
- Depression
- Obesity
- Osteoporosis
Why You Should Start Exercising Now?
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Exercise helps weight control
Physical activity can help prevent too much weight gain and also help maintain current weight. Engaging in physical activity helps burn calories. Higher the intensity of exercise, the more the number of calories burnt. Contrary to popular belief that physical activity for weight loss requires one to dedicate too much time, you can actually keep yourself more active throughout the day in simple ways — e.g.; take the stairs instead of the elevator.
- Exercise fights health conditions and diseases
As mentioned above, physical activity helps ward off conditions such as heart diseases, diabetes, and osteoporosis.
- Exercise improves mood
This is certainly true, done you just feel a rush of adrenaline after a brisk walk or a quick run at the gym? Blow out your stress with a power packed 30 minute exercise routine. Even a quick swim in the pool will help you achieve this! Doing this routinely will help boost self-esteem and self-confidence – so go out and give it a shot!
- Exercise give you an energy boost
Apart from boosting your feel-good hormones, exercise can also help give you an energy boost. Are you always feeling tired after daily household chores? Try to do a brisk walk or a quick run, you will find yourself ever so refreshed! Exercise and any form of physical activity improve oxygen delivery and nutrients to cells and tissues in the body. It also helps the efficient working of the cardiovascular system. So when the lungs and heart work efficiently, you end up having more energy for your daily chores.
- Exercise brings about better sleep
Are you becoming an insomniac? Unable to fall asleep? Or do you get easily disturbed during sleep? Prevent this by doing regular exercise – routine physical activity can help you fall asleep faster and also give you a deep sleep. A word of caution, avoid exercising just before bedtime, else you may be too wound up to fall asleep.
- Exercise puts the spark back into your sex life
Feeling too tired to enjoy physical intimacy? Regular physical activity can leave you feeling energized and looking better, which may have a positive effect on your sex life.
- Exercise can also help control weight
Stored fat can be burnt when using up oxygen. This is said to help maintain/control weight
- You can make exercise be a fun activity
Physical activity can be a fun way to spend time. It helps you unwind, enjoy the outdoors or simply engage in activities that make you happy. It also helps connect with family or friends in a fun social setting. Any form of physical activity is good enough – do what interests you; take a dance class, go on a hike, join a football team. Do what you enjoy!!
From all these points, it all goes to show that exercise and physical activity are indeed a wonderful way to feel good, if not better, be healthier and also have fun.
Try to aim for at least 30 minutes of physical activity each day. If there are specific goals such as weight loss then you might need to do a bit more. Always consult with an expert before commencing on anything new. So, let’s walk or run our way to fitness and health!!
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by Hridya Anand
A biochemist by education who could never put what she studied to good use, finally found GetDoc as a medium to do what she loved - bring information to people using a forum that is dedicated to all things medical. View all articles by Hridya Anand.
