Some Key Benefits to Exercise
Would you believe it if I said
there were absolutely no benefits to exercise? Okay,
I'm kidding!
But I'm guessing that if you're reading
this page, you don't get much exercise or the "exercise"
that you've been trying to do isn't enjoyable and maybe
even painful so you're wondering if it's worth it. If you
do enjoy regular physical activity, you've probably experienced
some of its many advantages.
Whatever your view of exercise, there
are many, many benefits to exercise that can be experienced
at any level of activity. It doesn't take "working
out at a gym" or running five miles a day to experience
these advantages, contrary to some false data floating
around about exercising.
As an example of false information
about exercising, I once heard something like
"anything less than 12 minutes of aerobic exercise
doesn't provide any benefit." Well, that's a false
interpretation of early research data on exercise by Dr.
Kenneth Cooper* who recommended that 12 minutes of aerobic
exercise would be "an ideal prescription."
However, believing that particular false
datum made it very difficult for me in the past to get
going on any sort of exercise routine. Why? Because 12
minutes of aerobic exercise was too much for me to start
with and I thought anything less wasn't going to help
me. I lost out on the benefits to exercise just because
of some incorrect information.
Since the time of that research (the early
80's), it has been determined that accumulating
time, for example 5 - 10 minutes of walking at a time a
few times a day or week, does indeed contribute to better
health.
So, the benefits to exercise include
the benefits of any physical activity.
The terms "exercise" and "physical activity"
are generally confused, but there is an important difference
between them that is explained completely on the Exercise
Information page. Exercise is physical activity
that is focused on a particular part of the body to improve
its performance.
There are four main types
of exercise and they have different effects and benefits
on the body. These are:
- Strength exercise
for improving the strength of muscles and bones;
- Cardiovascular exercise
that improves the performance of the heart, lungs and
circulatory system;
- Flexibility exercise
that increases the range of motion of joints and muscles;
- Balance exercise to
improve balance and coordination.
A combination of these different
types of exercise is necessary for optimum health results.
Many forms of exercise combine 2 or more of the 4 different
types.
Some of the key benefits to exercise include,
but are not limited to:
- Better ability to engage in the
day-to-day activities of living
If you've ever had a hard time
climbing stairs or groaned when you tried to bend down
for something, exercise improves these conditions. These
situations are examples of weak muscles and poor flexibility.
- More energy
Maybe you've heard this one but
couldn't figure out how the heck it works... when
you're exhausted, the last thing you want to do is to
exercise! You don't have any energy to exercise right??
This is how it works. When
you engage in cardiovascular exercise, you improve the
performance of your heart, blood circulation and lungs.
Through breathing, your lungs take in oxygen. Your circulatory
system delivers vital nutrients to the cells for building,
repair and energy. It is the combination of oxygen and
certain nutrients that create energy.
You can improve the ability of your
lungs to take in oxygen and how well your heart pumps
to get the oxygen and nutrients to the cells to create
physical energy through exercise. The secret is to start
at the right level for YOU
- for example, starting out with a short walk and keeping
it going on a regular basis does provide this health
benefit.
Lower back pain caused by
weak back muscles, for example, can often be
improved with proper strength and flexibility exercise.
Cardiovascular exercise will help deliver nutrients
and oxygen to the painful area, which is often blocked
due to poor circulation. Improving circulation to affected
areas can assist them in healing.
- Improved sleep
The quality of sleep can be affected
by unhandled stress,
poor nutrition
and yes, lack of regular exercise. I've personally noticed
during times of reduced physical activity that the quality
of my sleep suffers. This is where even a short after-dinner
walk several times a week can really make a difference.
Sleep is vital for good physical and mental health, so
improving the quality of sleep is definitely one of the
key benefits to exercise.
- Increased resistance to illnesses
Physical activity is the
only way that lymph gets circulated through the body.
Lymph carries white blood cells, the "anti-infection
commandos," throughout the body to attack and neutralize
viruses and other infectious substances. The lymphatic
system and its army of white blood cells is the main defense
system of the body.
The lymphatic system is separate from
the circulatory system and doesn't have a pump (the
heart). Lymph circulates by the contraction and relaxation
of muscle movement. Physical activity is the
"pump" for the lymphatic system and is one
of the key benefits to exercise.
When you improve lymph circulation through physical
activity, it can collect and filter illness and disease
causing "bugs" much more effectively.
- Constipation relief
A benefit to exercise is that it
helps the body to eliminate waste. One rather obvious
reason is that the muscle movement helps the colon
to "move things along."
I have personally experienced this. Whenever I've been
able to take a good, long walk, I experience improved
and easier movement! You know what I mean.
- The last benefit to exercise that
I'll mention here is improved mood and attitude
You've probably heard all sorts
of technical stuff like exercise increases some brain
chemical that makes you feel good.
Well, I'm sure that's true but I think it's much more
than that. When I enjoy physical activity and exercise,
I am doing something positive for my body and for my mental
and spiritual health. I am doing something about
my body instead of being the effect of a tired or lazy
body!
When you decide to take a positive
action and then actually do it, you feel better.
And that action and the result of feeling better will help
you to increase your feeling of well-being to greater and
greater degrees as you continue taking positive steps such
as increasing your level of physical activity and exercise.
That's one of the greatest benefits to
exercise!
Cheers!
* Kenneth H. Cooper (born 1931) is an
M.D. and former Air Force Colonel from Oklahoma. Cooper
is the author of a 1968 book Aerobics which emphasized a
point system for improving the cardiovascular system. The
popular mass market version was The New Aerobics (ISBN 0553268740),
published a few years later. His points system is also the
basis of the 10,000 steps per day method of maintaining
adequate fitness by walking.
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