Reasons to Get Moving
Beyond helping with weight loss, having an active life will also improve your health. So strap on some sneakers and kick your sedentary life to the curb! The more your move, the healthier your are. It’s as simple as that. Sitting behind a desk all day and hours of television isn’t doing you any favors. Recent studies suggest that being sedentary for long stretches of time can wreak havoc on your health. The good news? You don’t even need a gym membership or a media shelf full of workout DVDs to reap the benefits.
- Reduces Heart Disease Risk
- Numerous studies have shown that regular exercise significantly reduces the risk of heart attack. Exercise protects against heart disease by improving your cholesterol profile and reducing your triglyceride levels. These changes help cleanse the blood of fats that can block arteries. Exercise also lowers blood pressure, which reduces physical stress on the heart.
- Prevents Osteoporosis
- The development of the bone-thinning disease osteoporosis can be slowed through regular weight-bearing exercises like walking, jogging, stair climbing and aerobics.
- Controls Diabetes
- People with diabetes either don’t produce enough insulin, a hormone the body needs to make use of sugar, or their bodies don’t respond normally to it. Their resulting high blood sugar levels can cause many serious complications. Exercise reduces the body’s need for insulin, which improves blood-sugar levels. Studies show that adult-onset diabetes is much less likely to develop in active people than in nonactive people. For those who have the disease, regular exercise may help reduce or eliminate the need for medication.
- Fights Obesity
- Combined with a lot-fat diet that provides the right number of calories, regular exercise helps prevent obesity. Exercise is part of every effective weight-loss program. When excess weight is dropped, the risks for heart disease, hypertension, diabetes and osteoarthritis drop along with it.
- Increases Flexibility
- Regular exercise strengthens the muscle and keeps joints, tendons and ligaments more flexible, allowing active people to move freely and easily.
- Elevates Mood
- Health experts say exercise can have a positive effect on a person’s mood, including a reduction of anxiety and tension. It even shows promise in easing symptoms of depression.
- Lessens Discomforts of Pregnancy
- Regular aerobic exercise during pregnancy improves circulation, which improves the transportation of oxygen and nutrients to the fetus. Exercise can also lessen some of pregnancy’s discomforts, such as backache, tiredness, fluid retention and hemorrhoids. Plus, the endurance that exercise builds help women cope with labor.
Sources:
The Benefits of Physical Activity
7 Benefits of Regular Physical Activity