Yes! We blog about sports. How often do we engage in sporting activities?
Should we act like sign post, showing people the way and stays back rusting?, A big NO! There are so many benefits physical activities have in stock to offer.
Talking about exercise, many do think it’s for men alone, and that it’s just weight lifting, and/or doing press-up. This is so wrong!
EXERCISE FALLS INTO 2 BASIC CATEGORIES
They include:
° Aerobic
° Muscle-strengthening
AEROBIC EXERCISE
Aerobic exercise which include, dancing, brisk walking, cycling, swimming, jogging, playing of basketball, etc., makes you breathe harder and your heart beat faster, and as a result, increases your heart and lung fitness.
MUSCLE-STRENGTHENING EXERCISE
Muscle-strengthening exercise which includes doing exercises that use your body weight for resistance, like push ups, pull ups, sit ups and squats, working with resistance band and weight training, increase bone strength and muscular fitness. This also include activities that work all the major muscle groups of your body, such as, the legs, hips, back, chest, abdomen, shoulders and arms.
However, Muscle-strengthening exercise is subdivided into;
° Strength exercises
° Balance exercises
° Flexibility exercises
BALANCE EXERCISES
Balance exercises such as standing on one foot, Heel-to-toe walk, Tai Chi, etc., help prevent falls, which commonly occur among elderly persons. They also help one to improve upon his balance.
STRENGTH EXERCISES
These include lifting weights, using a resistance band, using your own body weight etc., they help make your muscles to become stronger, and helps you carry out your everyday activities.
FLEXIBILITY EXERCISES
Flexibility exercises include shoulder and upper arm stretch, calf stretch, yoga, they help stretch your muscles and can help you stay limber.
BENEFITS OF EXERCISE
1. Protects You From Cardiovascular Disease
Regular exercise strengthens muscles. This is true not only of your quads, calves, and biceps, but also your heart, which is a muscle. A strong heart can pump the same amount of blood around your body with less energy. In addition, a strong heart can stay healthier for longer, reducing the risk of weakening the muscle, having a heart attack or developing heart disease.
Being active and fit reduces your chance of developing type 2 diabetes in the first place, and it significantly lowers your risk of developing cardiovascular complications if you already have diabetes
2. Aids Weight Loss
Cardio Helps You Burn Calories and Body Fat. One of the most popular types of exercise for weight loss is aerobic exercise. This form of exercise include swimming, running, walking, cycling, etc. Aerobic exercise doesn't have a major effect on your muscle mass.
3. Reduces The Risk Of Type 2 Diabetes
Those with diabetes type 2, have too much glucose in their bloodstream, either because their body is insulin resistant or it doesn't produce enough insulin to process it. In either case, exercise can reducethe glucose in their blood
4. Strengthens Muscles And Bones
Bones and muscles both become stronger when muscles push and tug against bones during exercise. Exercise such as swimming and bicycling do help build strong muscles, and having strong muscles helps build strong bones.
5. Reduces Stress
Exercise reduces levels of the body's stress hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol. It also stimulates the production of endorphins, chemicals in the brain that are the body's natural painkillers and mood elevators.
6. Effective Treatment For Depression And Anxiety
Specific studies support the use of exercise as a treatment for depression. Exercise compares favorably to antidepressant medications as a first-line treatment for mild to moderate depression and has also been shown to improve depressive symptoms when used as an adjunct to medications
7. Lowers High Blood Pressure
Cardiovascular, or aerobic exercise can help lower your blood pressure and make your heart stronger. These kind of exercises include walking, jogging, jumping rope, cycling, cross-country skiing, skating, rowing, high- or low-impact aerobics, swimming, and water aerobics.
8. Reduces Risk Of Cancer
Being physically active can change the levels of some hormones, including oestrogen and insulin. In women exercise can lower the level of oestrogen. Oestrogen is thought to fuel the development of many breast and womb cancers, so reducing the levels of this hormone could help to reduce the risk.
9. Improves Digestion
Physical activity can relieve constipation and promote healthy digestion when you're at rest. Over time, regular exercise can strengthen your digestive tract. If you're fit, the amount of blood diverted from your digestive system decreases because the need is less urgent. Your muscles are more efficient when you're in shape.
10. Boosts Brain Function And Memory
In a study done at the University of British Columbia, researchers found that regular Aerobic exercise, the kind that gets your heart and your sweat glands pumping, appears to boost the size of the hippocampus, the brain area involved in verbal memory and learning
11. Reduces Low Back Pain
Low-impact aerobics can reduce chronic low-back pain just as effectively as physical therapy or an exercise program of weight lifting and exercise machines, according to a Swiss study published in the December issue of the journal Spine.
12. Strengthens The Lungs
Stretching exercises lengthen your muscles, increasing your flexibility. Aerobic exercises use large muscle groups to move at a steady, rhythmic pace. This type of exercise works your heart and lungs, improving their endurance. This helps your body use oxygen more efficiently and, with time, can improve your breathing.
13. Improves Sleep Quality
One way may be by the body-heating effects of physical activity, especially when performed in the afternoon or later. Physical activity triggers an increase in body temperature, and the post-exercise drop in temperature may promote falling asleep
14. Increases Flexibility
Flexibility Exercise (Stretching), like, practicing yoga can improve your balance, strength, and flexibility. A lot of lower-body strength-training exercises also will improve your balance. Flexibility exercises stretch your muscles and can help your body stay flexible.
15. Increase Your Energy Levels
Any physical activity that gets the heart rate up and the blood flowing and releases endorphins is going to raise your energy level.
16. Revs Up Your Sex Life
when we work out we tend to feel good about ourselves, and anything that increases self-esteem will rev up your libido. Regular exercise is also good for your sex life because it increases endurance, energy level, mood, and feelings of desirability.
17. Boosts Confidence Level
Although regular exercise routines improve physical strength and endurance, physical activity is also critical to boosting inner strength and confidence. By committing oneself to exercising regularly, and prioritizing fitness, a person can become more confident.
18. Improves Balance And Posture
It all starts with good posture. The best way to improve your posture is to focus on exercises that strengthen your core - the abdominal and low back muscles that connect to your spine and pelvis. Some of these muscles move your torso by flexing, extending, or rotating your spine.
19. Improve Skin Health
By increasing blood flow, physical activity helps nourish skin cells and keep them vital. "Blood carries oxygen and nutrients to working cells throughout the body, including the skin," says Marmur. In addition to providing oxygen, blood flow also helps carry away waste products, including free radicals, from working cells
20. Increases Your Lifespan
A new study shows that small bouts of light physical activity are enough to increase lifespan in older people. With all the above mentioned benefits, your lifespan is sure to increase.
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I know your mind is now made up to exercise regularly, on reading the above benefits.
Remember, your health is your wealth!
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All images were gotten from google.com.
References:
- go4life.nia.nih.gov
2. healthhub.sg
3. healthline.com
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Drstarry says thank you for reading. Do well to upvote, comment and share!
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