All about the fitness and health lifestyle
All about the fitness and health lifestyle

8 Benefits Of Staying Physically Active

Last Updated:
December 12, 2022
Author:
Kay Nicole

Benefits Of Staying Physically Active

Your lifestyle greatly impacts your overall well-being. Adults’ lifestyle primarily comprises their work life, social life, and home/family life. They often struggle with maintaining a work-life balance. However, in the daily grind, it’s important to make time for exercising. With the scarcity of time and motivation, many people rarely exercise or go for a walk.

Staying physically active is crucial for a healthy mind and body. If you’re planning to exercise more often, here are some incredible benefits that will motivate you to work out regularly.

Reduces risk of chronic diseases

Chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and heart disease are major causes of death in the US. One of the main factors for developing any one or more of these diseases later in life is physical inactivity. Regular exercise can maintain your body’s sugar and cholesterol levels and reduce the risks of developing cardiovascular issues. Running, jogging, cycling, or swimming are the top outdoor activities that can prevent chronic diseases.

When it comes to chronic disease management, nurses are key advocates of self-care approaches, and pursuing a nursing degree can help you become better equipped to deal with chronic illnesses. These days, you can complete nursing programs online and easily become a certified nurse. If you’re looking to enroll in an online nursing program but are uncertain about accelerated BSN vs MSN programs, Elmhurst University can provide details about what program will suit you best.

Maintains weight

Physical activity is a great strategy to adopt if you’re struggling with losing or putting on weight. You can incorporate high-intensity workouts and a calorie-deficit diet to reduce weight. Physical activity can increase your overall metabolic rate, which will help you burn more calories. On the contrary, if you wish to gain weight, you can include fatty foods in your diet and exercises, such as squats, lunges, and pushups, to gain muscle mass.

Uplifts mood

Physical activity can help you battle stress-stimulated disorders such as anxiety or depression. In 2017, the Brain Plasticity journal published a review on the effects of physical activity, stating that people who exercised experienced a better mood and decreased episodes of tension and anxiety.

You might feel tired post-exercise, but you’re likely to feel relaxed and calm. This is because physical activity can increase your blood’s endorphins, the happy hormones. These endorphins uplift your mood and relieve your mind from stress. Moreover, yoga and meditation are activities that detox the mind from stress.

Strengthens bones and muscles

One of the major positive impacts of physical activity is the strengthening of bones and muscles. Your muscles and bones coordinate to make every movement possible. With consistent physical activity, you strengthen your muscles, which subsequently pull on your bones to make them stronger. Weight-bearing exercises, such as walking and jogging, and strength training, such as weight-lifting and planks, are both workout regimes that help build stronger bones and muscles.

Apart from focusing on strength, stretches and deep breathing can improve your muscle flexibility. Focusing on stronger bones and muscles can prevent diseases such as Osteoporosis.

Increases stamina

Most of the time, daily chores or running errands can tire us because of deteriorating stamina levels. Regular physical activity can improve your endurance and stamina, promoting optimum performance. Initially, you’re likely to feel exhausted after a workout session, but gradually you’ll begin to feel less tired after every session.

When we exercise, the heart pumps blood faster and supplies our muscles with higher oxygen levels. With routine exercises, the heart performs efficiently, providing greater oxygen levels to the muscle, and reducing fatigue. You’ll feel less tired and experience improved stamina levels throughout the day.

Increased life expectancy

According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 2000 young people die each year due to sudden cardiac arrest. Other factors that contribute to young deaths are diabetes and hypertension. However, studies show that moderate to intense exercise can increase your lifespan by promoting overall health. A healthy body can effectively fight ailments or diseases you might contract over time. Exercising also helps improve sleep quality, allowing the body to relax and feel rejuvenated daily.

Improve skin health

Have you been applying branded skin-care products or indulging in an extensive skin-care routine every day before bed? If you want younger-looking and glowing skin, you can do it naturally by staying physically active. Exercising promotes the flow of blood to the skin. The blood carries oxygen and vital nutrients to the skin and carries away free radicals that cause skin breakouts.

Apart from that, sweating during a workout can moisturize your skin and kill harmful bacteria on the skin. It also detoxifies the skin, giving it a natural glow and preventing acne or pimples. With daily workouts, you’ll notice a noticeable improvement in skin health. It’s important to note if you’re working out outdoors, you might want to take preventive measures such as sunscreen application to protect your skin from UV rays.

Enhance brain activity

You might have heard that solving complex math equations or challenging brain-teasing puzzles improve brain activity. However, regular exercising can also improve the brain’s functioning. Working out increases the pumping of blood, which subsequently stimulates the growth and sustenance of brain cells. According to the findings from a University of British Columbia study, the size of the hippocampus, which is the part of the brain responsible for learning and retention, can be increased through regular aerobic exercise.

Moreover, physical activity reduces stress and anxiety, which become one of the prime factors of cognitive impairment. By promoting optimum brain functioning, you can prevent or delay the onset of disorders related to the brain, such as Dementia.

Conclusion

With a tight working schedule, it can be challenging to dedicate time to physical activity. However, working out is imperative to your health in the long term. If you seek motivation to work out consistently, we’ve elaborated a list of benefits that physical activity offers. From strong bones and muscles to an attractive physique, incorporating regular exercise into your routine can work wonders for your mind and body.

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