Benefits of Exercise 2

Let's look at things from a different angle today. So instead of discussing what you  stand to gain by exercising, we'll discuss the dangers you expose yourself to by not exercising.

A sedentary lifestyle is a life with very little or no physical activity. This lifestyle is one of the most deadly killers of our day.

Have you ever heard the expression, “An object in motion tends to stay in motion.”? Well what do you think a sedentary object is going to continue to do? Humans are pretty habitual creatures. It’s much easier to continue to do something from a formed habit than to step outside a comfort zone and try something different. If you have formed a habit of a sedentary lifestyle, chances are you’re going to continue until you either hit rock bottom, have a life changing experience, or find the motivation to get moving. The latter is what this article is aimed at helping you achieve.

 A sedentary lifestyle is a bad habit. The good news is, you don’t have to be a great athlete or an every day exerciser or runner to break free from a sedentary lifestyle.

Here are some of the harmful effects of a sedentary lifestyle:

1. The Obvious Health Risks. Being sedentary is the opposite of being active. What happens with inactivity? Weight gain. Weight brings it’s own nasty problems, so a sedentary lifestyle has obvious health risks like obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. The more weight you gain the harder your heart has to work. Your heart is a muscle, and the harder it is worked, the weaker it becomes.

2. Loss of Flexibility. Blood doesn’t flow as freely through tight, bound muscles. Inflammation and pain rear their ugly heads as flexibility is lost. The more sitting you do, the more your hip stiffens and low back becomes particularly tight. Your abs and glutes also become weaker.

3. Lower Metabolism. A sedentary lifestyle means fewer calories burned. A lot of your body’s ability to break down fat simply shuts down.

4. Osteoporosis. Here’s a not-so-obvious health risk. Your body and muscles are made to move. Your bones are made to bear the weight of movement to stay strong. A sedentary lifestyle or too much sitting and inactivity can lead to osteoporosis (a condition in which the bones become weak and break easily).

5. Increased Chances of Dementia, Depression, and Anxiety. The mind is more linked to the lack of moving than most realize, especially in the elderly. But you don’t have to become elderly before you feel the negative harmful effects of a sedentary lifestyle on the mind. So what can you do? Nobody can keep moving all day long, and you have to work. Unless you work in an environment that keeps you active, this will be tough. This is where you have a choice. Choose to form good habits:

1. Take the stairs instead of the elevator.

2. Stand as often as you can at work.

3. Park further away from the door at work.

4. Walk the halls while on phone calls.

5. Exercise and stretch daily.

However you choose to get moving, just get moving. Avoid the harmful effects of a sedentary lifestyle and take control of your health and mind!

Ok, this article can't end without outlining a few more benefits of exercise which are just too good and too numerous to ignore.

Ø  Exercise can improve brain function and protect memory and thinking skills.

To begin with, it increases your heart rate, which promotes the flow of blood and oxygen to your brain. It can also stimulate the production of hormones that can enhance the growth of brain cells. Moreover, the ability of exercise to prevent chronic disease can translate into benefits for your brain, since its function can be affected by these diseases. Regular physical activity is especially important in older adults since aging — combined with oxidative stress and inflammation — promotes changes in brain structure and function. Exercise has been shown to cause the hippocampus, a part of the brain that's vital for memory and learning, to grow in size. This serves to increase mental function in older adults. Lastly, exercise has been shown to reduce changes in the brain that can cause Alzheimer's disease and schizophrenia.

Ø  Regular exercise can help you relax and sleep better.

In regards to sleep quality, the energy depletion that occurs during exercise stimulates recuperative processes during sleep. Moreover, the increase in body temperature that occurs during exercise is thought to improve sleep quality by helping it drop during sleep. Many studies on the effects of exercise on sleep have reached similar conclusions. What's more, engaging in regular exercise seems to be beneficial for the elderly, who tend to be affected by sleep disorders.