Consistent Exercise Benefits
Why do YOU exercise?
To reap the multitude of health benefits, the CDC recommends that adults need 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise per week plus 2 or more strength training days per week. These minutes could be spread throughout the week as you like, but I like to target at least 30 minutes per day, 5 days per week.
If you need fresh motivation or just daily motivation to stick to a consistent schedule, check out the top benefits of exercise below!!
Exercise Can Make You Feel Happier
Exercise releases endorphins which have been shown to enhance mood and help relieve feelings of anxiety, stress and depression. Research also shows that exercise produces changes in the parts of the brain that regulate stress and anxiety. It can also increase brain sensitivity for the hormones serotonin and norepinephrine, which relieve feelings of depression
Exercise Can Help With Weight Loss
Regular exercise has been shown to increase your metabolic rate, which will burn more calories and help you lose weight. Studies have also shown that combining aerobic exercise with resistance training can maximize fat loss and muscle mass maintenance, which is essential for keeping the weight off.
Exercise is Good for Your Muscles and Bones
As people age, they tend to lose muscle mass and function, which can lead to injuries and disabilities. Practicing regular physical activity is essential to reducing muscle loss and maintaining strength as you age. Also, exercise helps build bone density when you’re younger, in addition to helping prevent osteoporosis later in life.
Exercise Can Increase Your Energy Levels
Exercise can be a real energy booster for healthy people, as well as those suffering from various medical conditions. One study found that six weeks of regular exercise reduced feelings of fatigue for 36 healthy people who had reported persistent fatigue. Exercise can also significantly increase energy levels for people suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and other serious illnesses.
Exercise Can Reduce Your Risk of Chronic Disease
Lack of regular physical activity is a primary cause of chronic disease. Regular exercise has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity, cardiovascular fitness and body composition, yet decrease blood pressure and blood fat levels. In contrast, a lack of regular exercise — even in the short term — can lead to significant increases in belly fat, which increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and early death.
Exercise Can Help Your Brain Health and Memory
Exercise can improve brain function and protect memory and thinking skills. First of all, it increases your heart rate, which promotes the flow of blood and oxygen to your brain. It can also stimulate the production of hormones that can enhance the growth of brain cells. Regular physical activity is especially important in older adults since aging — combined with oxidative stress and inflammation — promotes changes in brain structure and function. Exercise has been shown to cause the hippocampus, a part of the brain that’s vital for memory and learning, to grow in size. This serves to increase mental function in older adults. Lastly, exercise has been shown to reduce changes in the brain that can cause Alzheimer’s disease and schizophrenia!
Exercise Can Help With Relaxation and Sleep Quality
Regular exercise can help you relax and sleep better. In regards to sleep quality, the energy depletion that occurs during exercise stimulates recuperative processes during sleep. Also, the increase in body temperature that occurs during exercise is thought to improve sleep quality by helping it drop during sleep. Many studies on the effects of exercise on sleep have reached similar conclusions. One study found that 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity per week can provide up to a 65% improvement in sleep quality.
With all these reasons to stay moving, I encourage you to set a goal to get 30 minutes of movement each day. Check out my live online schedule to workout with me if you’re looking for fun, functional workouts every day of the week!!
*Research sited from CDC.gov and Healthline.gov