Are you ready to embark on a journey that will revolutionize your well-being? Discover the key to a healthier, happier you as we unravel the importance of exercising and its incredible impact on your life.
Todays modern women are often juggling so many of their responsibilities that they often time neglect their own health.
While being a self-less and compassionate person is something we should all strive towards, prioritizing our well being should always be at the top of the list.
Finding time to take care of yourself now a days does seem like a luxury but it’s best to see it as a necessity.
In this article we will explore the importance of exercise for physical and mental health and share simple trips on how to can start you journey of better self-care and personal growth
Physical benefits of exercise
Regular exercise offers a plethora of physical benefits that can transform our lives for the better. By recognizing the importance of exercising and incorporating it into our lives, we unlock a multitude of physical benefits that support a vibrant and active lifestyle.
Now, let’s explore the 10 benefits regular exercises can bring. Here are 10 ways in which we found being active an positively impact our bodies and overall well being:
1. Improved health heart
Exercise makes the heart stronger and improves blood flow, which lowers blood pressure and lowers the risk of heart disease.
When we move around, our heart has to work harder to pump oxygen-rich blood to all parts of the body. Over time, this stress on the heart from exercise makes the heart’s muscles stronger, which makes it better at pumping blood.
Because of this, our resting heart rate goes down and our blood pressure tends to return to normal. Regular exercise also helps lower levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol and raise levels of HDL (good) cholesterol, which is also good for heart health.
Aerobic exercise affects your heart. Exercise builds heart muscle. A strong heart pumps blood more efficiently to deliver oxygen and nutrients to your body. Exercise reduces plaque risk.
Deepak S. Patel, MD, FAAFP, FACSM
2. Stronger Muscles
Small tears happen in our muscles when we do things like resistance training, lifting weights, and bodyweight exercises.
As the body fixes these tiny tears, the muscles get used to them and get stronger. Exercise also makes your body make more proteins, which help your muscles grow and heal.
Regular exercise can lead to more muscle mass and better muscle endurance over time. Stronger muscles not only help us move better, but they also improve our posture, stability, and balance, which makes us less likely to fall and get hurt.
Strength training may improve your life and daily activities. Strength training protects joints too. Muscles improve balance and reduce fall risk. This helps you age independently.
Mayo Clinic Staff
3. More Flexible joints
Flexibility in the joints improves mobility and contributes to the joint health that comes from regular exercise.
Yoga, Pilates, and other stretching and range-of-motion based mobility exercises are great for maintaining and increasing joint flexibility. These routines help keep you from getting stiff by stretching the muscles and tendons that surround your joints.
Synovial fluid, which helps lubricate the joints and reduce friction, is produced more efficiently when people engage in regular physical activity.
Stretching maintains muscle flexibility, strength, and joint range of motion. Tight, shortened muscles can weaken and hinder movement, causing joint pain, strains, and muscle damage. For instance, sitting for extended periods can lead to tight hamstrings, limiting leg extension and walking.
Harvard Health Publishing
4. Maintain a Healthy weight
Maintaining a healthy weight requires a commitment to a regular exercise routine. When combined with a healthy diet, physical exercise can help create an energy deficit by burning calories.
Physical activity increases the rate at which our bodies burn calories, which can aid in weight loss or maintenance. Exercising regularly not only helps us burn calories while we’re doing it, but it also increases our metabolic rate, so we continue to burn calories long after we’ve stopped moving.
The lean muscle mass we gain and maintain through exercise also contributes to an increased resting metabolic rate. This means that compared to people with a higher percentage of body fat, those with more muscle burn more calories even when at rest.
Exercise has immediate and long-term health benefits. Physical activity improves brain health, reduces disease risk, strengthens bones and muscles, and improves daily function.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
5. Increased Bone Density
One of the best ways to maintain strong and healthy bones is to increase their density through regular exercise.
Bones can get denser and stronger with the help of weight-bearing exercises like walking, jogging, dancing, and lifting weights. The impact and stress of weight-bearing activities prompts the body to respond by building new bone tissue.
This prevents further bone loss and lessens the likelihood of developing osteoporosis. Exercise also enhances balance and coordination, decreasing the likelihood of falls and subsequent bone fractures.
Bones support muscles and protect organs. Dancing, golf, and tennis are easier with strong bones. Despite exhaustion, strong bones get you through busy workdays.
New Mexico Orthopedics
6. Better Coordination
In activities like dance, martial arts, and sports where precise movements are required, the brain and body work in unison to ensure the best possible results. Coordination improves with regular practice because of the strengthening of neural and muscular connections.
The sense of where our bodies are in space, known as proprioception, is enhanced by regular exercise. We gain a sense of equilibrium and heightened awareness as a result of this.
Coordination not only improves our athletic performance, but also the ease and confidence with which we navigate our daily lives.
Fitness rarely discusses coordination. Coordination is rarely discussed. Coordination improves sports performance. It prevents all kinds of injuries and helps you age better.
Yaneth Perea
7. Healthier immune system
The effectiveness of the immune system can be boosted through moderate-intensity exercise like brisk walking, cycling, or swimming.
As a result of increased circulation brought on by exercise, immune cells are better able to seek out and destroy invaders.
Moreover, physical activity produces endorphins, which can aid in stress reduction and immune system maintenance. Chronic inflammation, which can weaken the immune system, is also reduced by exercising regularly.
Your immune system fights diseases. Viruses, parasites, and fungi invade. If the system fails, you may get sick. So boost your immune system.
PHC Team
8. Lowers risk of diseases
The risk of developing chronic diseases like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and some forms of cancer has been shown to decrease in people who exercise regularly. Maintaining healthy levels of blood sugar, cholesterol, and blood pressure can be achieved through regular exercise. Disease prevention depends on all of these factors.
Obesity is a major risk factor for many diseases, and this aids in weight control, so it’s a double win. Physical exercise has many additional health benefits, including enhanced circulation, a stronger immune system, and optimal organ function.
Exercise improves heart and circulation. Blood flow boosts oxygen levels. High cholesterol, coronary artery disease, and heart attack are reduced. Exercise lowers blood pressure and triglycerides.
Medline Plus
9. better quality of sleep
he sleep-wake cycle, also called the circadian rhythm, is regulated by physical activity during the day. When we work out, our body temperature goes up, and when it goes back down afterward, our body knows it’s time to rest and sleep.
Regular physical activity also lowers anxiety and stress, both of which are common causes of sleep problems. Exercise has also been shown to increase the amount of deep sleep, also called slow-wave sleep, which is important for the body to heal and for the body as a whole to feel refreshed.
Exercising helps many people sleep. Moderate to vigorous exercise reduces sleep onset, or the time it takes to fall asleep, and nighttime wakefulness in adults. Physical activity can also reduce daytime sleepiness and sleep medication use.
Dr. Abhinav Singh
10. Reduces Fatigue
Exercise is a great way to fight fatigue because it gives you more energy and makes you feel less tired. When you work out, more blood and oxygen flow to your muscles.
This makes your muscles work better and makes you feel less tired. When you exercise, your body releases endorphins, which are natural mood boosters that can make you feel less tired and more energetic.
Regular exercise also makes your heart and muscles stronger and increases your overall endurance. This gives you more energy and makes it easier to do the things you need to do every day with less work.
The University of Georgia found that sedentary, otherwise healthy adults who exercised for 20 minutes three times a week for six weeks had more energy and felt less fatigued.
Marion Webb
Mental and emotional benefits of exercise
While we now know the physical benefits regular exercise can bing, we can now dive into importance of exercising for our holistic well-being.
Let’s delve into the specific mental and emotional benefits that regular exercise can provide. Here are 6 ways in which exercise can enhance our minds and emotions:
1. Reduces stressful feelings
Endorphins are chemicals produced by the body during exercise that elevate mood and produce a euphoric state of mind. Naturally occurring endorphins have a calming effect on the body and mind, making it easier to deal with stressful situations.
Working out is a great way to release stress and excess energy. It has been shown to reduce anxiety and help people feel more at ease in their bodies and minds.
The stress hormones in your body, like cortisol, are easier to manage when you maintain a regular exercise routine. This may lead to less stress overall and a more efficient stress response.
Read more about: 10 Minute Full-Body Yoga for Stress Relief
Stress impacts the body through the brain’s many nerve connections. Thus, a healthier body improves mental health. Exercise releases endorphins, which reduce stress and help you sleep. Meditation, acupuncture, massage, and deep breathing can release endorphins.
Anxiety & Depression Association of America
2. helps boost your mood
A positive mood is one of the many benefits of a physically active lifestyle, which also benefits brain health, cognitive function, memory, concentration, and overall mental performance.
When you work out, you strengthen the bond between your body and mind, which can improve your outlook and mood by increasing your mindfulness and self-awareness.
“Each major increase in objectively measured physical activity decreased the odds of becoming depressed by 26%,” says study author Karmel Choi, a clinical and research fellow at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
JAMA Psychiatry
3. become more mentally alert
Neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to change and form new connections, is enhanced by regular exercise, which in turn enhances learning, memory, and mental agility.
By increasing oxygen and nutrients carried by the blood to the brain, exercise boosts brainpower and concentration.
Even more exciting is the finding that engaging in a program of regular exercise of moderate intensity over six months or a year is associated with an increase in the volume of selected brain regions,
Dr. Scott McGinnis
4. Boost of self-confidence
Increases in strength, endurance, and flexibility are just some of the fitness benefits of exercising regularly. Seeing yourself make progress toward your fitness goals and succeeding at them can do wonders for your self-esteem.
Body composition, muscle tone, and weight management are all aided by a regular exercise routine. These alterations to one’s appearance may help one develop a healthier perspective on one’s body and grow in assurance.
Exercising has been shown to make us feel better and make us think more positively in the short term. Over time, exercise can boost our self-esteem by making us feel good about our bodies and skills.
Excellence In Fitness
5. combats signs of depression
Exercising can help alleviate depression by diverting attention away from depressing thoughts and ruminations. Depression can be temporarily alleviated by shifting one’s focus to the task at hand, which can be accomplished through physical activity.
Exercising regularly can give you a sense of mastery over your own body and mind. Taking charge of one’s depression management by engaging in physical activity can boost self-efficacy and general mental toughness.
There isn’t a clear link between depression, anxiety, and exercise, but working out and other forms of physical activity can definitely help you feel better and ease the symptoms of depression or anxiety. When you feel better, exercise may also help keep depression and anxiety from coming back.
Mayo Clinic Staff
6. removes creative block
Divergent thinking, in which multiple ideas are generated and different viewpoints are considered, can be facilitated by regular physical activity. By broadening the scope of what is possible, this can inspire new ways of thinking and help overcome creative blocks.
Taking a break from your normal routine and doing some exercise can help you reset your mind. Taking a break from your creative work and letting your mind wander while you exercise can help you gain new perspectives and ideas.
Social benefits of exercise
The benefits of exercise are truly never ending. while the can improve our outer and inner well being, it can also help us connect with others.
Once we are able to put ourselves out their the importance of exercising exceed the threshold of just something you do to look good and feel good.
It can help you become someone who is a part of something good.
Check out these 6 ways that exercise can help us foster a better connection with those around us and possible make a few life long friendships.
1. Creates a feeling of community
When you go to group fitness classes, you can meet other people who have the same health and fitness goals as you do. You can help and encourage each other, which gives you a sense of community and belonging.
When you join a sports team or league, you can get to know your teammates better through shared goals, competition, and working as a team. As you work together to win, you’ll get closer and feel more like a team.
People who are regularly active have a stronger sense of purpose, and they experience more gratitude, love, and hope. They feel more connected to their communities and are less likely to suffer from loneliness or become depressed. These benefits are seen throughout the lifespan.
Dr. Kelly McGonigal
2. Bond with other with shared interest
Finding a workout partner or someone to train with gives you a sense of responsibility and boosts your motivation. By having the same fitness goals, you can help each other, push each other, and celebrate your successes. This will make your relationship stronger.
Joining groups that do things like hiking, cycling, dancing, or yoga is a good way to meet people who like the same things you do. People with similar interests are more likely to become friends and connect with each other.
3. maintain motivation
When you work out with other people, you can lean on each other during hard workouts or when you run into problems. Having people to help you along the way can boost your motivation and make the trip more fun.
Setting fitness goals as a group can give you a sense of purpose and drive. Working toward a common goal, like finishing a challenge or event together, makes people more likely to support and commit to each other.
Several research studies have also shown that working out in general can make you feel better and less stressed and anxious. This is because exercise makes you make more of the hormones serotonin and norepinephrine, which help make you feel better when you’re sad. It also makes more of the chemicals called endorphins, which help us feel good and keep us going.
The University of British Columbia
4. opportunity to network
Participating in fitness retreats or camps is a great way to immerse yourself in fitness, and it also gives you the chance to meet trainers, wellness professionals, and other people who care about personal growth and well-being as much as you do.
When you volunteer at fitness-related events like marathons, charity walks, or wellness expos, you can meet other volunteers, organizers, sponsors, and participants who are also passionate about fitness and getting involved in their communities.
5. Increases social confidence
When you join a group exercise class, a sports team, or a fitness community, you are often exposed to other people. This can help you get used to being around other people and feel more comfortable in social situations.
As you get fitter, people may tell you nice things and tell you that you’re doing a good job. These affirmations can boost your confidence in social situations, whether they are about your looks, your performance, or your accomplishments.
6. make new friends
Exercise brings together people of different ages, backgrounds, and jobs. This variety of ideas and experiences can make your social interactions more interesting and help you learn more about other cultures and ways of life.
In many places to work out, everyone is welcome and there is no competition. This can relieve stress and make it easier for people to connect and make friends without worrying about being judged.
How to add exercise into your lifestyle
The importance of exercising doesn’t just improve how you feel physically, but also for how it can help your mental, emotional, and social health.
By making exercise a part of your daily life, setting goals that are realistic, finding motivation, and choosing activities that you enjoy, you start a journey that will change your life and make it better.
With each step you take, you set yourself up for better health, more energy, less stress, and a feeling of accomplishment.
Embrace the process of adding exercise to your life and you’ll open up a world of possibilities that will make you healthier and happier.
1. Set realistic goals and find motivation
Start by deciding what you want to achieve through exercise—weight loss, fitness, or stress reduction. Set realistic, measurable, and achievable goals. Small steps can make big changes.
Visualizing the benefits of exercise, seeking support from friends and family, or tracking your progress can motivate you. Setting realistic goals and finding motivation can help you start exercising daily.
Read more about: 10 Tips to Help You Set Goals and Achieve Them
2. make FITNESS PART OF YOUR DAILY ROUTINE
Look for ways to be active throughout the day, like taking the stairs instead of the elevator, walking or biking to work, or scheduling short activity breaks during the workday. Do housework or gardening, which can be hard on your body and give you a workout.
Find ways to make exercise a regular part of your life, like walking or biking to run short errands instead of driving. By finding ways to be active every day, you can slowly get into the habit of working out regularly.
3. Choose activities that suit personal preferences
Try out different kinds of exercise, like dancing, swimming, cycling, hiking, or joining a sports team, to find something you like. Think about your interests, your physical abilities, and the resources or facilities you have access to in your area.
Try out different kinds of exercise until you find one you really like. When you exercise by doing things you enjoy, you are more likely to stick with it and make it a regular part of your life.
Read more about: 13 Hobbies That Encourage Mindfulness & Relieve Stress
4. Get help or advice from professionals
You might want to get help from fitness trainers, coaches, or exercise physiologists who can help you make an exercise plan that fits your needs and goals. They can show you how to do exercises correctly, suggest good ones, and hold you accountable.
Joining fitness classes, workout groups, or online communities can also give you support and motivation from other people. Connecting with people who have the same fitness goals as you can help you feel like you belong and boost your motivation.
You can deal with the challenges and stay committed to making exercise a part of your life if you get professional help and hang out with supportive people.
Different types of exercise
To fully grasp the importance of exercising you must first understand what actives count as exercise. Luckily there is a wide range to choose from.
It’s important to know what you can and can not do before engaging in a new physical activity. The excitement of trying something new is not worth putting yourself or others is harm .
Here is a list a showing doable actives for different intensities:
Low Intensity Exercises
Walking: Take a leisurely stroll around your neighborhood or a nearby park.
Yoga: Engage in gentle yoga poses and stretches to improve flexibility and promote relaxation
Taiichi: Practice this ancient martial art that involves slow and controlled movements, promoting balance and mental focus
Water Aerobics: Take advantage of the resistance of the water to do low-impact aerobic exercises in a pool.
Medium Intensity Exercise
Brisk Walking: Pick up the pace and engage in a faster-paced walk to elevate your heart rate.
Dancing: Hip-hop and Zumba are good examples of dance styles with more active moves.
Step Aerobics: Utilize a step platform to perform a series of choreographed movements, combining cardio and strength training.
Light Bicycling: Go for a moderate-paced bike ride, incorporating inclines or varying terrains for an added challenge.
High Intensity Exercises
Running: Sprinting intervals or take part in a race or marathon with a fast pace.
Crossfit: Take part in CrossFit workouts, which are high-intensity workouts that combine weightlifting, cardio, and bodyweight exercises.
Boxing: Take boxing classes or do intense bag work, focusing on how to use your feet and punches together.
Rowing: Do intense rowing workouts on a rowing machine or in a boat to work out multiple muscle groups and improve your heart’s ability to handle stress.
In Conclusion
Putting physical activity first is not just a personal choice; it is also a powerful investment in your health and happiness as a whole.
By realizing how important it is to exercise, you can unlock a lot of benefits for your mind, body, and spirit.
So, let’s take the first step together and decide to make exercise a regular part of our lives. Start small and keep going, and you’ll be amazed at how much you can change.
Your path to a healthier life starts right now!