Exercise Health Benefits
If you look in the mirror every morning and weep at the sight of all that flab, or perhaps you had to run for the bus last week and really thought you were having a coronary as you reached the end of the road in a haze of sweat to see the bus sailing off into the distance, then maybe it is about time you started to have a good think about how many exercise health benefits there are!
What exercise health benefits are there?
Exercise health benefits are numerous. Exercise raises the levels of cardiovascular fitness; it helps you to maintain a healthy weight; plus it gives you a general sense of well-being. Numerous scientific studies have proven the links between regular exercise and a healthy heart, and you don’t have to be a serious athlete to reap the benefits of regular exercise. With only three 20 minute sessions of exercise per week, you will soon notice the difference in your energy levels and your body shape.
What are some other exercise health benefits?
Exercise is also a powerful source of feel-good endorphins. People who exercise regularly are far less likely to suffer from psychological illnesses such as depression. When you exercise, your body releases endorphins and you enjoy an exercise related “high”. You don’t even need to do intense exercise to discover those exercise health benefits—a brisk walk can be just as beneficial as an eyeball popping hard-core session on the treadmill down the gym.
Some people don’t quite “get” exercise health benefits…
Many people hate exercise with a passion. They still have nightmares about school sports day where they came last in every single event—including the dreaded egg-and-spoon race. Fortunately, the days of sadistic Physical Education teachers are long gone and the exercise industry has entered a new millennium. Exercise does not need to involve purple shell suits, a running track, and a PE teacher screaming abuse in your ear as you stagger past. No matter how allergic to exercise you might think you are, there are so many different types of exercise to choose from that there is bound to be one you can enjoy and actually stick to in the long term.
Social exercise health benefits
Exercise can mean a fun class in the company of like-minded individuals with whom you can have a laugh and bond with, plus get fit at the same time. You don’t need lots of specialist exercise equipment and exercise clothing to take part in an exercise class–as long as you are comfortable, you will be fine to begin with. If you check out your local leisure centre or community hall, you will probably find there are a plethora of exercise classes you can sign up for. Most of them will be aimed at ordinary people who want to get fit, maybe lose some weight, and just have fun.
Long gone are the days of aerobics classes involving Jane Fonda wannabes wearing unfeasibly tight Lycra leotards. You will still find aerobics classes on offer if that is what you fancy doing, but there are also loads of other variations on aerobics classes to choose from, including Boxercise, Step Classes, Body Pump, and many more.
Modern gyms market themselves at all ages and degrees of fitness. You will probably still see the usual contingent of body-beautiful types flexing their muscles and admiring themselves in the mirror, but you are just as likely to see normal people who are overweight and who are there to get fit. During the day, you are even more likely to see a large number of retired folk who meet up at the gym for a leisurely hour or two doing light exercise.
Different types of exercise health benefits
Cycling - try cycling for a dose of fresh air, a cardio workout, and fun on two wheels. And even better, it’s great for the whole family!
Jogging – although jogging is not for everyone as it can be tough on the joints, jogging is a great cardio workout and as little as 20 minutes hard running, three times per week, can keep your heart in tip-top condition.
Swimming – easy on the joints and ideal for overweight people, swimming is fun and suitable for everyone, including seniors and pregnant women.
Walking – gentle walking exercise is one of the top types of exercise for everyone, no matter what your current level of fitness is.
Yoga/Pilates – both yoga and Pilates are a fun type of group exercise and great for improving core fitness and stability.
Winter exercises – skiing and snowboarding might be too physical for many, but if you enjoy a good rush of adrenaline, charging down a snow covered hillside can be enormous fun.
Other alternative types of exercise – exercise is anything that gets your blood moving through your veins and your heart pumping, so even housework and sex come under the banner of “healthy exercise”. What more excuses do you need?
With so many exercise health benefits to be gained, you have no excuse to sitting at home vegetating on the sofa with a packet of donuts and a 6-pack of beer. Find a type of exercise you enjoy and have some fun!
September 16th, 2010 at 1:44 pm
Don´t consider every nice comment as spam, its not – but here my two cents. It´s all about fitness mates! Or what do you think? I like this info and it has given me some sort of commitment to succeed for some reason, so thank you. Moreover I´m definitely considering writing these facts in my own blog!
December 22nd, 2011 at 1:21 pm
The majority of men and women DON’T exercize. They are out of breath when they go up twenty stairs. They loose their muscle mass, get flabby then fat. They have health problems. And all the while, they criticize and mock people who go to the gym everyday. The only reason why they do this is that it makes them feel bad to see fit people. They know they should go to the gym but they just don’t have the courage. So, they say insulting things to people who work out so they feel bad too. Bullshit like “People who work out are stupid”. Or “You are a muscleman !”. Or any other stupid comments design to mess up with somebody’s mind in order to make him/her feel stupid. But people who don’t work out are stupid. Think about it. They lay in their bed all night. Then they sit down in their car. Then they sit down at work. Then they sit down in their car again back home. Then they sit down in the sofa. Then they lay down in bed. They don’t excercize at all and barely walk. This is insane. The human body has never been designed by nature to be sedentary. WE HAVE TO EXERCIZE. A lot of people will oppose the gym saying that outdoor sports are better. But when you ask for the facts, you will find out they only practice these outdoor sports only once a year. This doesn’t compare with going to the gym 4 to 6 times a week. Three times a week is just maintenance. Transformation requires 4 to 6 times. Of course, there are idiots at the gym who lift too heavy, don’t do the moves properly and get hurt. But they are a minority and should not be taken as a benchmark to judge whether we should or not go to the gym. And you can read books and get a personal trainer to know what to do. You can ask gym employees how to use a particular machine if you don’t know how to. My ostheopath tells me to go to the gym. Cardiologists tell me to go to the gym. Read studies by PhDs on the subject of weight training.