7 Surprising Advantages of Exercise
If you're like most people, you probably have a hazy idea that working out is beneficial for you and you've heard that it's "healthy for the heart," but that's definitely not enough to motivate you to break a sweat on a daily basis. More than half of baby boomers report not exercising at all, just 20% of Americans over the age of 6 engage in the recommended 150 minutes of weekly strength and cardiovascular physical activity, and 80.2 million Americans over the age of 6 are completely sedentary. That's unfortunate, but new research demonstrates that there are numerous strong arguments for beginning a fitness regimen at any age, including while ill or pregnant. In fact, researchers are discovering that exercise is a form of treatment. According to Claude Bouchard, director of the human genomics laboratory at the Louisiana-based Pennington Biomedical Research Center, "There is no drug that can come close to what exercise can do." And it would be very pricey if there was one, too.
For additional information, read the entire account, but in the meantime, consider some of the incredible things that can occur to a moving body.
1. The brain benefits greatly from exercise.
Less melancholy, improved memory, and speedier learning are all associated with it. Additionally, research points to exercise as the most effective approach to stop or delay the beginning of Alzheimer's disease, a serious concern for many Americans.
Exercise alters the structure and function of the brain, but why this occurs is still a mystery to scientists. Through the protein BDNF, researchers have discovered that exercise increases blood flow to the brain, fueling the development of new blood vessels and even brain cells (brain-derived neurotrophic factor). In addition to encouraging the creation of new neurons, BDNF aids in brain cell repair and degeneration prevention. Recent research suggests that it might also aid in focusing.
2. Your mood could improve.
Numerous studies demonstrate that various forms of exercise, such as cycling and walking, improve moods and even lessen depressive symptoms. Serotonin, norepinephrine, endorphins, and dopamine are among the brain chemicals that are released during exercise and reduce tension, dull pain, and brighten mood. According to Cedric Bryant, chief science officer of the American Council on Exercise, "for years we virtually entirely concentrated on the physical benefits of exercise and basically disregarded the psychological and emotional benefits of being routinely active."
3. You may age more slowly as a result.
It has been demonstrated that exercise can increase longevity by up to five years. The aging of cells may be slowed down by moderate exercise, according to a recent tiny study. Telomeres, the protective caps on the ends of chromosomes, shorten as humans age and their cells divide repeatedly. Researchers collected blood and muscle samples from 10 healthy individuals before and after a 45-minute ride on a stationary bicycle to examine the impact of exercise on telomere length. They discovered that physical activity raised concentrations of a chemical that shields telomeres, ultimately reducing the rate at which they shorten over time. Therefore, physical activity seems to delay cellular aging.
4. Your skin will look better as a result.
Aerobic exercise increases blood flow to the skin, bringing nutrients and oxygen that promote healthy skin and even hasten wound healing. According to Anthony Hackney, an exercise physiologist at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, "that's why patients with injuries should get moving as quickly as possible—not only to make sure the muscle doesn't atrophy, but to make sure there's excellent blood flow to the skin." If you practice sufficiently, your skin will develop more capillaries and blood vessels.
The skin also acts as a heat release mechanism. (For further information, see "Why Does My Face Turn Red When I Exercise? ".) When you exercise, your muscles produce a lot of heat, which you must release to the environment to keep your body temperature from rising too high, according to Hackney. The blood carries the heat from the muscle to the skin, where it can subsequently escape into the atmosphere.
5. Amazing things can occur in a matter of minutes.
New research indicates that little movement is necessary to reap the benefits. How low can you go has always piqued our interest. Martin Gibala, a professor of exercise physiology at McMaster University in Ontario, says this. In contrast to the traditional 50-minute session, he wanted to see how effective a 10-minute workout could be. He came up with a micro-workout that consists of three intense intervals of as-hard-as-you-can exercise followed by quick rest periods. He compared the short workout to the conventional one in a three-month research to see which was superior. To his surprise, despite the fact that one workout was five times longer than the other, both led to improvements in blood sugar control and heart health. You can get by with remarkably little exercise if you're willing and able to push yourself.
6. It might aid in your recovery from a serious illness.
In fact, patients with various chronic diseases, ranging from Type 2 diabetes to heart failure, can benefit from even really intense exercise—like the interval workouts Gibala is researching. It has been conventional wisdom for many years to discourage exercise for those who have certain conditions. Scientists now understand that a much larger population can and should exercise. Exercise was even more helpful for stroke survivors in their rehabilitation, according to a recent study of more than 300 clinical trials.
Since the early 1990s, Dr. Robert Sallis, a family doctor at Kaiser Permanente Fontana Medical Center in California, has advised exercise to his patients in an effort to administer fewer medications. He claims that it performed "amazingly," especially in his sickest cases. "I would notice tremendous changes in their chronic condition, not to mention all of these other things like sadness, anxiety, mood, and energy levels," the doctor said. "If I could get patients to do it on a daily basis—even just walking, anything that brought their heart rate up a bit."
7. Your fat cells will decrease.
The body needs both fats and carbohydrates as fuel. But with regular training in aerobic activity, the body becomes more adept at burning fat, which needs a lot of oxygen to be converted into energy. According to Hackney, one advantage of exercise training is that it strengthens and improves our ability to supply oxygen, which allows us to digest more fat as an energy source. Your fat cells shrink as a result, decreasing both inflammation and the compounds that cause chronic low-grade inflammation.
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