Benefits of Engaging in Physical Activities
Physical inactivity is a significant risk factor for many chronic diseases and conditions like heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and osteoporosis. Physical activity helps to prevent and manage these conditions. Evidence shows it can improve mental health and wellbeing and reduce the risk of anxiety, depression, and dementia.
Physical activity provides both physical health benefits and social and psychological benefits. These include:
– Stronger muscles and bones
– Improved heart health (healthy blood pressure)
– Increased fitness (and increased ability to do more during the day). Higher energy levels throughout the day due to better sleep patterns. Increased body confidence leads to improved self-esteem.
Better moods/more minor depressive symptoms Additional benefits such as helping with weight management and increasing stamina or energy levels are often referenced in the literature. Still, there is limited evidence for these types of benefits.
Physical activity helps control weight. The more active you are, the easier it is to maintain weight. Physical activity also helps with good nutrition and can improve self-esteem, which changes eating habits.
It has been found that being less physically active increases the risk of developing chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and heart disease, which makes physical activity a vital part of a healthy lifestyle to manage these conditions effectively.
Regular physical activity reduces mortality from all causes by 20%—30%. There is also evidence that people who become inactive in middle age are at greater risk of poor health later than those who remain active throughout life.
It has been found that people gain the most health benefits when they do 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) of physical activity per week. This can include things like walking, running, swimming, or cycling. This minimum level reduces health risks and provides health benefits for people aged 5 to 65.
Exercise takes many different forms, each providing various benefits, including cardiovascular (improves heart health), resistance training (helps build solid muscles and bones), flexibility training (helps maintain range of motion in joints), balance training, and weight management classes.
Some examples are exercise classes at your local gym, jogging/running, walking, or dancing, and using machines such as cross trainers or treadmills, available in most gyms today.
There is also swimming if you enjoy it as a form of exercise as it is also low impact and can be enjoyed by people of all ages.
For those who do not enjoy the gym, there are many other options, such as walking, running, hiking, dancing, etc.
If these activities appeal to you, you may even want to try something completely different, such as orienteering, rock climbing/ abseiling! Try doing something that interests you and keep at it, thus increasing your motivation levels.
What does Physical Activity Mean?
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Physical activity is a movement that helps you burn calories and maintain or improve your health. It includes walking, cycling, jogging, and running.
Any physical activity has many benefits, including boosting energy levels, improving mental health, less stress, and the more obvious fitness-related goals such as burning fat and losing weight. It can also help reduce anxiety or stress and provide many other benefits to overall health, as detailed below in this article.
How Much Physical Activity Should I Do?
The NHS recommends at least 150 minutes of physical activity per week for people aged five to 65. Extensive evidence demonstrates that those who do at least 150 minutes per week are at less risk for developing diseases than those who do not.
Those who do more than this amount benefit from an even more significant reduction in disease risk.
If you don’t think you can manage 150 minutes weekly, doing some is better than nothing! Doing 20-30 minutes daily will help reduce your disease risk and improve your mood and energy levels. On average, adults need 2,000 calories to maintain weight, whereas it only takes 500 extra calories above this to start gaining weight.
Hence, burning extra calories through physical activity is one of the most effective ways to lose weight if combined with a balanced diet.
What Happens When I Exercise?
Regular exercise strengthens your heart and improves its ability to pump blood around the body.
It also helps your muscles work more efficiently, making everyday tasks easier and reducing the risk of injuries such as falls as you age. It also reduces stress levels, a critical factor in improving mental health and increasing confidence levels. It can also aid those suffering from depression by lifting mood and reducing feelings of anxiety.
What are the Benefits of Physical Activity on Health?
Being physically active has many benefits, including improved overall health and a reduced risk of developing diseases such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers. Regular exercise has also been found to improve brain function and thinking skills and reduce age-related muscle loss.