Why exercise improves health




















Even if a person is far from meeting the recommended weekly activity levels, those first small steps are important and worthwhile. Exercise involves physical activity, exerting the body with movement, and increasing the heart rate. Exercise is vital for looking after and improving…. Aerobic exercise reduces the risk of many health conditions. National guidelines recommend at least minutes of aerobic activity per week.

A new study reviews the effects of exercising in older life. Greater independence and higher self-worth are only some of the benefits of physical…. High intensity interval training HIIT is a type of exercise that combines short bursts of intense activity with periods of rest. Learn about the…. NordicTrack Vault and Tempo both offer workout mirrors suitable for exercising at home. Learn more here. What are the mental and physical health benefits of exercise? Improves cardiovascular health.

Helps with diabetes management. Reduces risk of some cancers. Improves mental health and mood. Improves bone health. Hopping on the track or treadmill for some moderate-to-high intensity aerobic exercise intervals , anyone? In a small study of people with a diagnosis of panic disorder, regular moderate-to-hard exercise led to a greater reduction in anxiety than light exercise.

Lattari E, et al. Effects of aerobic exercise on anxiety symptoms and cortical activity in patients with panic disorder: A pilot study. Brawn and brains are not mutually exclusive. Studies have shown that cardiovascular exercise can create new brain cells and improve overall brain performance.

Griffin WE, et al. Aerobic exercise improves hippocampal function and increases BDNF in the serum of young adult males. Ready to apply for a Nobel Prize? A study suggests that a tough workout increases levels of a brain-derived protein called BDNF, which may help with decision making, higher thinking, and learning. De la Rosa A, et al. Long-term exercise training improves memory in middle-aged men and modulates peripheral levels of BDNF and cathepsin B.

Get ready to win big at Go Fish and Pairs: Regular physical activity boosts memory and the ability to learn new things. Working up a sweat increases production of cells in the hippocampus that are responsible for memory and learning. Erickson KI, et al. Exercise training increases size of hippocampus and improves memory. Geertsen S, et al. Motor skills and exercise capacity are associated with objective measures of cognitive functions and academic performance in preadolescent children.

A study found that running sprints improved vocabulary retention among healthy adults. Winter B, et al. High impact running improves learning. Suwabe K, et al. Rapid stimulation of human dentate gyrus function with acute mild exercise. And yes, our good friend exercise can kick off a considerable wave of dopamine.

However, so do drugs and alcohol. This reward cycle in the brain can lead to patterns of substance use disorder. Exercise is there for people while they recover from addiction. Brown AR, et al.

Aerobic exercise for alcohol recovery: Rationale, program description, and preliminary findings short. Taylor AH, et al.

The acute effects of exercise on cigarette cravings, withdrawal symptoms, affect and smoking behaviour: A systematic review. Working out while on the wagon has other benefits too. Excessive alcohol use disrupts many body processes, including circadian rhythms. As a result, people with alcohol use disorder may find they have trouble falling asleep without drinking. A study on animals suggested that exercise might help reset the body clock so people can hit the hay at the right time without alcohol.

Hammer SB, et al. If you have a disability, severe weight problem, arthritis, or any injury or illness that limits your mobility, talk to your doctor about ways to safely exercise.

Divide your exercise into shorter, more frequent chunks of time if that helps, or try exercising in water to reduce joint or muscle discomfort.

Many of us find it hard enough to motivate ourselves to exercise at the best of times. But when you feel depressed, anxious, stressed or have another mental health problem, it can seem doubly difficult.

This is especially true of depression and anxiety, which can leave you feeling trapped in a catch situation. Start small. Better to set achievable goals and build up from there. Schedule workouts when your energy is highest. Perhaps you have most energy first thing in the morning before work or school or at lunchtime before the mid-afternoon lull hits? Or maybe you do better exercising for longer at the weekends. If depression or anxiety has you feeling tired and unmotivated all day long, try dancing to some music or simply going for a walk.

Even a short, minute walk can help clear your mind, improve your mood, and boost your energy level. Focus on activities you enjoy. Any activity that gets you moving counts. That could include throwing a Frisbee with a dog or friend, walking laps of a mall window shopping, or cycling to the grocery store. Activities such as gardening or tackling a home improvement project can be great ways to start moving more when you have a mood disorder—as well as helping you become more active, they can also leave you with a sense of purpose and accomplishment.

Be comfortable. That may be a quiet corner of your home, a scenic path, or your favorite city park. Reward yourself. Reward yourself with a hot bubble bath after a workout, a delicious smoothie, or with an extra episode of your favorite TV show, for example.

Make exercise a social activity. Exercising with a friend or loved one, or even your kids, will not only make exercising more fun and enjoyable, it can also help motivate you to stick to a workout routine. Think about physical activity as a lifestyle rather than just a single task to check off your to-do list. Look at your daily routine and consider ways to sneak in activity here, there, and everywhere.

Clean the house, wash the car, tend to the yard and garden, mow the lawn with a push mower, sweep the sidewalk or patio with a broom. Sneak activity in at work or on the go. Bike or walk to an appointment rather than drive, use stairs instead of elevators, briskly walk to the bus stop then get off one stop early, park at the back of the lot and walk into the store or office, or take a vigorous walk during your coffee break. Get active with the family.

Get creative with exercise ideas. Pick fruit at an orchard, boogie to music, go to the beach or take a hike, gently stretch while watching television, organize an office bowling team, take a class in martial arts, dance, or yoga. These tips can help you find activities you enjoy and start to feel better, look better, and get more out of life.

Greer, T. You can read the whole story for more , but here are some of the amazing things that happen to a body in motion. BDNF triggers the growth of new neurons and helps repair and protect brain cells from degeneration. It may also help people focus , according to recent research. Countless studies show that many types of exercise, from walking to cycling, make people feel better and can even relieve symptoms of depression.

Exercise triggers the release of chemicals in the brain—serotonin, norepinephrine, endorphins, dopamine—that dull pain, lighten mood and relieve stress. Exercise has been shown to lengthen lifespan by as much as five years.

A small new study suggests that moderate-intensity exercise may slow down the aging of cells. As humans get older and their cells divide over and over again, their telomeres—the protective caps on the end of chromosomes—get shorter. To see how exercise affects telomeres, researchers took a muscle biopsy and blood samples from 10 healthy people before and after a minute ride on a stationary bicycle. They found that exercise increased levels of a molecule that protects telomeres, ultimately slowing how quickly they shorten over time.

Exercise, then, appears to slow aging at the cellular level. Aerobic exercise revs up blood flow to the skin, delivering oxygen and nutrients that improve skin health and even help wounds heal faster.

The skin also serves as a release point for heat.



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