7 Positive Effects of Exercise on Health
We hear it all the time. “Exercise is good for you! You must exercise!” but does anyone ever really explain, in medical terms, why? Exercise isn’t just about losing weight or having rock hard abs. The health benefits of exercising go way beyond aesthetic appearance. Here is what you need to know about the positive effects of exercise on your physical and health.
Prevent Deterioration of Aging
Exercise may be the best antiaging treatment there is. It is quite a simple one really. As you get older, your muscles naturally weaken, as do your bones. This can lead to more painful falls, easier bone breaks and more, as you age. Exercise builds muscle and strengthen bones, which will keep your more active and less likely for falls and breaks from becoming weak.
Protect your Brain White Matter Integrity
A recent study has shown that exercise was positively associated with white matter integrity, as well as cognitive performance in both normal patients and patients with mild cognitive performance, which is often associated as the early signs of Alzheimer’s.
Strengthen Muscles and Bones
Exercise helps build stronger bones and muscles not just in your younger years, but throughout your life. Strengthening your bones and muscles helps protect you from fragility fractures as well as help reduce your osteoporosis risk.
Resist Mental Illnesses
Some people think your mind and body are separate, but what you do with one can have big effects on the other. Exercise has been proven to improve your mental wellbeing, including fighting signs of depression and symptoms of anxiety, by changing chemicals in our brain. Some scientists believe keeping active can give us a greater self-esteem and self-control, which affects wellbeing positively.
Get Lower Blood Sugar Levels
If you are wondering how to lower blood sugar levels, then exercise is what you are looking for. Exercise burns the sugar in your blood, lowering your overall blood glucose levels, it also increases the body’s sensitivity to insulin. This means glucose is used more effectively. Not only that, if weight is kept down due to exercise, it reduces the body’s need for insulin.
Improve Cardiovascular Functions
Exercise helps your cardiovascular system in so many ways, including lowering of blood pressure, working against blood clotting and helps reduce your risk of heart disease.
Boost your Immune System
Exercising has anti-inflammatory effects on your body which boosts your immune system, even after just 20 minutes of exercise. Whilst our body needs some inflammation properties, too much of it can lead to autoimmune diseases including MS and rheumatoid arthritis. Exercise has also been a large part of cancer research. Research has shown that exercise can reduce many cancer risks such as bowel cancer (by exercise moving food through our bodies quicker, meaning harmful chemicals are exited quickly) and breast cancer (from exercise lowering oestrogen levels), and many more.
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