Why Exercise? Exercise Relieves Stress And Improves Natural Health

We all know that exercise is good for us, but doing it is another matter. We can always find an excuse not to exercise: too much work, not enough time, or just too tired.

However, the main incentive to make you start exercising is overall natural health improvement. It can help you not only in your physical well being, but with mental health as well. Here are some top reasons to motivate you to exercise:

Weight control: Regular physical activity helps people lose excess weight or stay at a reasonable weight; exercise increases metabolism and burns calories. Duke University research published in the Journal of Applied Physiology found that overweight, sedentary adults who began exercising lost visceral fat, or at least did not gain more. Those who did not exercise, however, gained more in just six months.

Increase flexibility, muscle strength and endurance: Health studies repeatedly reveal that strength training increases muscle strength and mass and decreases fat tissue.

Bone strength and prevention of osteoporosis: An active lifestyle benefits bone density.

Stronger immune system: The findings from some studies support the possibility that exercise may delay immunosenescence (age dependent decline in immune function).

Better sleep: Daily exercise can serve as relaxation therapy. It can improve the general quality of sleep, help with quicker sleep-onset, and longer sleep duration leading to feeling more rested upon waking.

Chronic back pain relief: By increasing muscle strength and endurance and improving flexibility and posture regular exercise helps to prevent lower back pain, middle back pain and upper back pain. Many exercise studies show that yoga, in particular, seems to help.

Personal stress management: Exercise stimulates various brain chemicals, which may leave you feeling happier and more relaxed.

Fight depression: Many studies show that exercise promotes positive mental health and reduces symptoms of depression.

Increase longevity: People who are physically active, live longer. Regular physical activity provides benefits to men and women of all ages.

New brain cell development: Exercise stimulates the formation of new brain cells (neurons). It also strengthens connections between those cells. The areas of the brain that are stimulated through long-term exercise are associated with memory and learning.

Cardiovascular disease prevention: Lack of physical activity is one of the major risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. There is a direct relation between physical inactivity and cardiovascular death. In a long-term, Swedish study, women and men who were physically active at least twice a week had a 41 percent lower risk of developing coronary heart disease (CHD) than those who performed no physical activity.

Cholesterol lowering: Physical exercise favorably influences blood cholesterol levels by decreasing LDL cholesterol, triglycerides and total cholesterol and increasing HDL cholesterol.

Type II Diabetes prevention and control: Exercise can promote healthy blood sugar levels in the body. There is strong evidence from randomized controlled studies (e.g. Finnish Diabetes Prevention Study and the Diabetes Prevention Program in the U.S.) that moderate physical activity combined with weight loss and balanced diet can confer a 50-60 percent reduction in risk of developing diabetes among those already at high risk.

Lower blood pressure: Low physical activity increases the risk of hypertension. Regular exercise training seems to be effective in reducing blood pressure. Trying out some different types of exercise fitness equipment may be one way to go (i.e. treadmills or elliptical equipment.)

Reduce stroke risk: Research data indicates that moderate and high levels of physical activity may reduce risk of total, ischemic, and hemorrhagic strokes. According to a study in the December 2007 issue of Neurology, published by the American Academy of Neurology, people who have good physical function after the age of 40 may lower their risk of stroke by as much as 50 percent compared to people who are not able to climb stairs, kneel, bend, or lift as well.

Everyone exercises for different reasons. The bottom line is to just do it and start taking steps to improve your body and mind’s natural health today. And, there are so many ways to exercise; choices abound. So, whether its yoga, Pilates, using home fitness equipment or treadmills, get off the couch and onto a healthier path for living