Effects of Exercise

Effects of Exercise

1. Good for the brain & body:

Physical exercise is perfect for both the brain and body. It increases oxygen to your muscles, gives you excellent pumping ability, keeps your endurance up, and helps you lose weight (especially if you’re using a low-carb diet).

2. Increased strength capacity:

Strength training will make you stronger, not just in one area or movement pattern like regular cardio. Resistance exercises triggering muscle contractions against an external resistance (like barbell presses) can result in more significant hypertrophy than those that don’t (like jogging) and are more metabolically expensive.

3. Increased bone mineral density:

Bone mineral density is closely linked with muscular strength. The stronger you are, the better your bones can handle physical stress and the higher their density will be, as long as you have a good supply of calcium, vitamin D, and testosterone.

4. Decreased risk of certain diseases:

High-intensity training is beneficial for preventing chronic diseases such as diabetes mellitus type 2 and cardiovascular disease since it helps increase insulin sensitivity and decrease body fat stores. There’s also evidence that HIIT is especially effective at reducing blood pressure compared to low-intensity exercise because afterburn keeps your metabolism elevated for hours following each workout – thus burning more calories.

In one study, ten men with type 2 diabetes were assigned HIIT or MICT protocols thrice weekly for six weeks. The HIIT group showed a significant reduction in average glycosylated hemoglobin levels.

5. Reduced risk of cardiovascular disease:

Studies have suggested that physical activity has an inverse relationship with coronary heart disease. In other words, more exercise means less chance of heart problems.

For every additional 7 MET hours per week (one MET equals one calorie per kilogram body weight per hour) of leisure-time physical activity, 9% of cardiac deaths were prevented. In contrast, 11% were postponed in life or delayed until age 75 years.

Although there is no conclusive evidence that exercising regularly can prevent cardiovascular disease, it is undoubtedly suggestive enough to encourage people to get moving!

6. Increased cognitive function & memory:

Regular exercise is good for your heart and extremely healthy for your brain. Research has substantiated that exercise can improve cognitive function and prevent age-related degeneration of the brain and nervous system.

One study examined 90 older women with mild cognitive impairment who were assigned a 6-month aerobic training program, strength training, or balance and tone exercises (control group).

Those in the strength and aerobic groups showed significant improvements on tests measuring mental processing speed, executive function, word fluency, completing tasks quickly, divided attention, prospective memory, visuospatial ability (the ability to rotate objects in one’s mind), flexibility (mental multitasking); and memory.

7. Improved Quality of Life:

Your body is designed to move, so when you’re sedentary, your health inevitably declines because the energy-producing mitochondria in every cell degenerate over time. Even if you exercise regularly, sitting all day at work or while driving can reduce blood flow and compromise the efficiency of these cellular engines (mitochondria), which leads to tissue damage and potentially disease.

But it’s not just about avoiding cardiovascular disease; regular physical activity will also improve mood, decrease stress levels, increase self-esteem and confidence, improve sleep quality, and boost motivation – resulting in enhanced general life satisfaction

8. Improved lung function:

Regular aerobic exercise makes your lungs work better by strengthening the muscles that support your bronchi. In a study involving 20 obese adults, any physical activity (strength training, walking, cycling) for three months improved lung function and decreased airway resistance.

9. Improved hormonal profile:

Moderate to vigorous-intensity aerobic workouts help balance cortisol levels while boosting testosterone and growth hormone production. One study compared a group of men assigned either HIIT or MICT protocols thrice weekly for six weeks.

The HIIT group significantly reduced average glycosylated hemoglobin levels, suggesting that high-intensity exercise may be especially beneficial for people with diabetes mellitus type 2. The same group also had significantly higher serum-free testosterone and growth hormone levels after their workouts, indicative of improved hormonal status.

10. Reduced risk of hip fractures:

It’s a known fact that our bones tend to become more fragile as we age. And if you’re female, the risk increases dramatically after menopause due to decreased estrogen levels, putting women at greater risk for osteoporosis later in life. Yet regular exercise throughout your lifetime can help reduce this risk – regardless of whether you start early (in childhood) or later (in adulthood).

One 10-year study followed 250 physically active and sedentary women and found that those who were physically active had less than half the risk of developing a hip fracture over the study period compared to sedentary women. The benefits of exercise were similar regardless of age, weight, smoking status, or alcohol intake.

11. Improved immune function:

Exercise boosts your natural killer cells (cells that destroy tumors and virus-infected cells). Studies indicate that regular moderate to vigorous exercise significantly benefits immunity by increasing the number of NK cells in circulation without adversely affecting their cytotoxic capabilities (ability to kill viruses and cancerous cells).

12. Better quality sleep:

Regular aerobic exercise is known to improve both deep and REM sleep. It helps people fall asleep faster, improves sleep efficiency (percentage of time spent sleeping), improves blood oxygen saturation levels during sleep, enhances restorative processes during sleep, keeps you from waking up in the middle of the night, and enhances memory in older people.

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13. Reduced risk of breast cancer:

According to research, physically active women had a 24% lower risk of developing breast cancer than inactive ones. Even women who took up activity during adulthood showed an 18% reduced risk compared with their sedentary counterparts.

14. Improved prostate health:

Men need aerobic exercise just as much as women do. One study found that men over 40 who exercised five or more times per week were 19 percent less likely to be diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer than those who exercised 0-1 times per week.

15. Better oral health:

People tend to brush and floss their teeth when they exercise because it’s convenient (you’re already at the gym). Increased blood flow to the gums helps clear away bacteria and plaque. Since regular exercise is one of the tools in our arsenal for weight management, maintaining a healthy body weight can also cut your risk of oral cancer.

16. Fewer colds and flu:

I’ve always said that you don’t need to be thin to be fit – it’s better when you are fit AND thin! One study found that people who participated in moderate to vigorous aerobic activity were 30 percent less likely to get sick when exposed to a cold virus than their sedentary counterparts.

Another study has shown that participants who engaged in moderate-intensity physical activity (such as walking) for 20 minutes or more daily had a 50 percent lower risk of developing the common cold.

17. Better childhood health:

Some studies have shown that physically active kids perform better on intelligence and memory tests and behave better in class. Get them moving, and their overall academic performance is likely to improve.

18. Improved self-esteem:

Exercising regularly will make you feel good about yourself because your body becomes fitter and healthier. It’s proven that people who stay fit tend to be more optimistic about themselves than sedentary individuals. And when you have high self-esteem, you are less likely to suffer from depression or other adverse mood disorders.

19. Increased bone mass:

Bone formation increases when individuals exercise, which helps prevent age-related bone loss and osteoporosis, a disease resulting from decreased bone density. Additionally, physical activity stimulates hormones that help the body absorb calcium (an essential mineral for bone health). Studies show that people who participate in weight-bearing exercises retain more of their hip and spine bone mass—even during menopause.

20. Improved mood:

While no definitive evidence exists to prove it, many others would like to believe that exercise is an excellent way to make yourself feel better when you are down or depressed because it releases endorphins (the chemicals responsible for making you feel good after sex) into your system; this may explain why researchers have found that regular aerobic exercise is as effective as antidepressant medications in reducing symptoms of mild to moderate clinical depression.

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21. Healthy pregnancy:

According to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, women who exercised during their pregnancies were less likely to have a baby that was too small for their gestational age and had shorter labor times than those who didn’t exercise as often.

If you are trying to get pregnant, regular physical activity may increase your chances. It promotes optimal fertility by improving blood flow through the uterus, ovaries, and fallopian tubes. At any rate, being active means better health for both mother and child during the nine months of pregnancy and beyond!

22. Reduced back pain:

Back pain is widespread. More than eight out of 10 people will suffer from it at some point. Research has shown that exercising regularly reduces back pain and improves the function of the spine

23. More energy:

Once you start regular exercise, you’ll likely notice a significant increase in your vitality and energy level. Exercise delivers oxygen and nutrients to cells throughout the body, keeping everything from your muscles to your brain healthy. Many studies have shown that aerobic activity can improve one’s mood and increase energy levels by stimulating the release of endorphins.

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