Ten Reasons to Exercise and Be Physically Active

  • Feel more energized
  • Burn more calories at rest
  • Improve overall appearance
  • Be able to withstand stress
  • Decrease risk of illness
  • Speed up recovery from injury or surgery
  • Keep focused
  • Build up cardiovascular endurance
  • Improve flexibility
  • Increase lean body mass

Feel Energized

When we are active, blood vessels that go to your muscles dilate, which causes an increase in blood flow and oxygen to muscles. This, along with an increase in your metabolic rate, causes you to feel energized. This “burst of energy” occurs during exercise and after you exercise. Working out in the morning or afternoon will cause you to feel energized during the whole day. It is the same if you are an evening exerciser, you will still burn just as many calories and feel better !

Burn Calories

Cardiovascular and resistance exercises are both important when it comes to working out and burning calories. Doing cardiovascular work such as walking,running or biking results in a temporary rise in your metabolic rate. Compared to being in a resting state, you will burn more calories per minute when performing cardiovascular work. By doing resistance exercises such as weights, you will increase your muscle mass. Muscle burns far more calories at rest than fat does, so by becoming more muscular, you are increasing your resting metabolic rate.

Improve Appearance

Exercise can help you feel better, but it will help you look better as well. Along with eating a healthy diet and utilizing stress management, you can look good by becoming toned and defined. But , you must remember that genetics play a big part in what we look like. For example, a person can be a healthy eater, exercise daily, be a non-smoker and a non-drinker, and STILL have high cholesterol because of their genetic makeup. The same goes for what one looks like. Some people are born into a family with genetically large “frames.” You may have heard of the term “big boned.” If your parents happen to be short and small-framed, more than likely you will be, too. We can’t really change our genetics, but we can make healthy, sensible and happy choices with the bodies we have.

Withstanding Stress

Research has shown exercise can be a great stress reliever. There are many reasons for this. Exercise increases the hormone epinephrine, another name for adrenaline. This hormone is responsible for an increase in blood flow, which carries more oxygen to the brain, making you more alert. Being alert and aware of your surroundings helps you to deal with stress. Also, exercise stimulates the release of other hormones called endorphins, or the “feel good hormones.” These help to improve mood and feelings. Many people find that they feel better after a stressful day if they exercise. Exercise is a good way to increase self-esteem.

Decrease Risk Of Illness

Exercise builds and improves circulation of our white blood cells, which helps fend off harmful bacteria that cause us to get sick. This helps to prevent us from getting sick. However, after we become ill, improved circulation due to regular exercise can help us to get better again.

Speed Up Recovery From Injury Or Surgery

When one exercises daily and lives a healthy lifestyle, a body can better repair itself from injury or surgery. When you increase muscle tissue and white blood cells by exercising, your body can more easily reduce inflammation that occurs from injury and surgery.

Stay Focused

Staying focused when engaged in everyday life activities is very important in order to sticking to a plan. Exercising regularly and eating healthfully helps blood flow improve and leads to your hormones being at optimum levels, thus increasing your ability to concentrate.

Building Cardiovascular Endurance

We all know that if you study hard for a test, you are more likely to do well. The same applies when we say we are “getting into shape.” You have to build up your cardiovascular system through activities in order to have an efficient circulatory system. Regular physical activity not only strengthens your heart muscle and improves your blood’s oxygen carrying capacity, but also improves breathing and muscular contractions.

Flexibility

By stretching before and after exercise muscles become more elastic, improving your range of motion or flexibility. Other ways which continue to increase in popularity are Yoga and Pilate

Increase Body Mass

Increasing lean mass is important because it reduces your body fat and increases your metabolic rate. If you perform cardiovascular exercise most days of the week and resistance exercises 2-4 days of the week, you will increase muscle mass while decreasing fat mass!

Health Is The Best Type Of Wealth