Published on May 15, 2017 and last reviewed on Feb 11, 2022 - 4 min read
Abstract
Exercise is a movement that makes a person’s muscles work and burn excess calories in the body. Read more about them below.
Exercise is a movement that makes a person's muscles work and burn excess calories in the body. In simple words, physical exercise is the body's activity that increases fitness and improves overall health.
Exercise can be classified into four categories depending on its effects on the body.
1) Aerobic Exercise:
Aerobic exercise is a kind of exercise that speeds up heart rate and breathing, essential for other organ functions. It gives a workout for the heart and lungs and builds endurance. Therefore, aerobic exercise helps a person to maintain a healthy cardiovascular system. Running, swimming, cycling, brisk walking, playing outdoor games like tennis or cricket are examples of aerobic exercise. These physical activities involve large muscle groups and use more oxygen.
2) Strength Training Exercise:
As a person ages, he may lose muscle mass. Strength training exercise builds the lost muscle mass back. Regular strength training makes a person feel more confident. Strengthening exercise makes muscles stronger and stimulates bone growth, lowers blood sugar, helps with weight control, improves balance and posture, and reduces pressure and strain in the lower back and joints. This strength training exercise includes squats, push-ups, lunges, and exercises involving resistance from a weight or a band.
3) Stretching Exercise:
Stretching exercise maintains the flexibility of muscles. Due to aging, there is a loss of flexibility of muscles and tendons. Muscles shorten and do not function properly, which may increase the risk of developing muscle cramps, muscle damage, strain, joint pain, and falling. It also causes difficulty in doing daily activities. Stretching the muscles routinely makes them longer and more flexible. It increases the range of motion and reduces pain and injury risk. A person can do this exercise three or four times a week.
4) Balancing Exercise:
Balancing exercise helps to improve a person's balance by building up core strength. These exercises are advisable for people at risk of falls, including the elders. But this exercise is helpful for everyone. Examples of activities that help in balance are Tai chi, dance, and playing bowls.
The real problem is many people have excuses for not exercising. The most common reason is that people do not have the time for it because they are busy. It is not hard to spare half an hour for a workout or a good workout for 15 minutes. Try to work out three times a week, and you will feel the difference. Make it a habit, as it has a lot of benefits, which are as follows.
Regular exercising keeps us physically fit and reduces the ill effects of aging.
It is one of the most important ways to keep our mental health good and prevent mental illnesses like depression.
Regular exercise stimulates the release of endorphins, which boosts our mood and improves our sense of well-being.
Exercising regularly helps us sleep better.
It also reduces the risk of developing cancer due to being overweight and having a sedentary lifestyle.
Exercise reduces the risk of degenerative bone diseases like osteoporosis and osteoarthritis.
Regular exercising increases body immunity.
Reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Reduces LDL (low-density lipoprotein) and increases HDL levels (high-density lipoprotein) in the body. It also maintains blood pressure, strengthens the heart muscles, and prevents the risk of developing coronary artery disease.
Regular exercising helps us maintain a healthy weight and increases muscle strength.
It also increases energy levels as muscles get more oxygen and nutrients.
Not getting enough physical activity can cause heart disease even in people having no other risk factors. It also increases the risk of developing obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, and type 2 diabetes.
A person can make regular exercise a part of his everyday routine by following these simple steps mentioned below.
1) Do Everyday Activities More Actively:
A person making simple changes in their everyday activities may make them more active. He can try choosing to use stairs instead of elevators, walking down to the coworker’s office instead of sending an e-mail, washing a car on his own, and parking them away from their destination to walk.
2) Try to Be Active With Your Friends and Family:
Having a workout partner may make a person enjoy doing exercise. Both of them can plan to do some social activities that involve exercise. They may also consider joining a class or an exercise group, such as a dancing class or hiking club.
3) Keep Track of Your Progress:
Keeping a log on the activities done or using a fitness tracker may help a person set his goals and stay motivated.
4) Enjoy Doing Exercise With Fun:
Try listening to music or watching television while exercising. If a person sticks to one type of exercise, he might feel bored. So try doing a combination of activities.
5) Find Activities That Might Be Done Even When the Weather Is Bad:
People can try walking in a mall, climbing stairs, or working out in a gym even when the weather stops them from exercising outside.
Conclusion:
Doing exercise daily reduces stress, improves mood, and gives sound sleep. It helps maintain a healthy weight and strengthens the individual's muscles and bones. Moreover, doing regular exercise without giving excuses every day can make a person lead a healthy lifestyle forever without developing any life-threatening diseases in their body. People starting their new journey in doing regular exercise can follow these simple steps mentioned above to make regular exercising their everyday routine.
Regular exercise carries certain long-term health benefits:
- Brain health improvement.
- Bone and muscle strengthening.
- Reduction of systemic illnesses risk.
A daily workout can help improve certain aspects of life:
- Keeps one happy.
- Weight loss.
- Muscle and bone strengthening.
- Increase in energy levels.
- Reduction of risk of systemic illnesses.
- Improved skin health.
- Improve brain health and memory.
- Improve sleep quality and relaxation.
- Reduce chronic pains.
- Improve sex life.
The short-term benefits of exercise include:
- Improved thinking and cognition.
- Relief from anxiety.
- Reduces risk of mental disorders.
- Better sleep quality.
- Improve thinking, learning, and judgment skills.
The positive effects of exercise on the heart include:
- Weight management.
- Decreased risk of cardiovascular disorders.
- Improve sugar and insulin levels.
- Lowes blood pressure.
- Cholesterol level management.
Individuals must aim for 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activities per week, ideally around 30 minutes daily. Moderate-intensity exercises can be extended up to 300 minutes per week, and vigorous exercises up to 150 minutes per week.
Exercise releases chemicals called endorphins (also known as happy hormones) in the body. Endorphins reduce pain reception and produce a feel-good effect. Hence, the body feels rejuvenated with a positive feeling after an exercise session.
Exercise positively affects arterial health as it stimulates the bone marrow to produce endothelial progenitor cells, which aid in repairing damaged arteries. Additionally, nitric oxide production by the endothelial cells is increased, which is a potent protector against vascular diseases.
Exercise provides the stimulus of reparative growth and improves the production of growth and anabolic hormones. This aids in physical growth and development. Additionally, regular exercise improves the brain's cognitive functioning, improving overall brain development.
To improve physical well-being:
- Get active (at least 150 minutes per week).
- Maintain muscle health by exercising regularly.
- Weight control.
- Dietary control and modifications.
- Healthy lifestyle choices.
Both aerobic and resistance training are potent stimulants of growth hormone secretion. It also stimulates the secretion of other anabolic hormones.
Endurance and resistance training can boost testosterone in the body for a brief duration. As muscle mass increases, testosterone production is stimulated more.
Some lifestyle choices improve mental health:
- Good quality sleep.
- Brisk walk.
- Stress ball.
- Regular exercise.
- Yoga.
- Pets.
Last reviewed at:
11 Feb 2022 - 4 min read
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