Exercise refers to doing any physical activity that is planned, structured, and typically repetitive. There are many benefits of exercise discussed in this post, and surprisingly not all are related to physical appearance.
When exercising, you are moving your body in a way that engages muscles and requires energy expenditure. Exercise can include activities like walking, running, swimming, cycling, or specific workouts performed in gyms or during a sport.
Exercise tends to vary in how hard it is, how long it is done, and the chosen type. Exercise is very diverse and can be catered to a variety of fitness goals and activity preferences.
I've broken down the Benefits of Exercise into 5 main categories, including:
In This Post You'll Find:
Importance of Regular Exercise
When you exercise regularly, there is a wide range of benefits at your disposal. Exercising can help you maintain a healthy body weight, reduce your risk of serious health conditions like heart disease and diabetes, and strengthen the heart and other muscles.
Doing exercises that improve your flexibility and that work on your balance can lower your risk of injury and increase your mobility. There are also other benefits to exercise, like improved mental health thanks to its ability to reduce stress and improve your mood.
It can also improve your overall brain health while allowing you to live a longer, healthier life by preventing chronic diseases. And for those sluggish days, exercising can boost your energy and improve your self-confidence.
Tons of benefits often get overlooked.
What are The Benefits of Exercise?
Below is a high-level list of the 18 unexpected benefits of exercise, which I will dive into in this article. If you'd like, you can click directly on a benefit to be taken to that description.
- Weight Management Aid
- Improved Cardiovascular Health
- Reduced Risk of Osteoporosis and Fractures
- Improved Balance and Flexibility
- Reduced Stress and Anxiety
- Improved Mood
- Enhanced Sleep Quality
- Enhanced Cognitive Function and Brain Health
- Increased Productivity and Focus
- Reduced the Risk of Cognitive Decline and Dementia
- Encourages Positive Social Interactions
- Fosters Community and Teamwork
- Encourages Group Activities and Bonding
- Strengthens the Immune System
- Reduced Risk of Illnesses and Infections
- Speeds Up Recovery Time
- Improves Self-Image and Body Confidence
- Boosts Self-Esteem and Self-Worth
Let’s explore them more!
Physical Health Benefits of Exercise
1. Weight Management Aid
When you engage in exercise on a regular basis, you are improving your overall health and well-being in many different ways. Exercise is an essential part of managing your weight. It helps you burn calories, facilitating weight loss or maintenance. When paired with a balanced diet, it is a great tool for fighting off obesity, which has its own long list of complications. Adding lean muscle from strength training will also burn additional calories each day as it raises your metabolism.
2. Improved Cardiovascular Health
Exercising on a regular basis also helps to enhance your cardiovascular health because it strengthens the heart muscle, which leads to improved blood circulation and can also help in reducing high blood pressure which can help decrease your likelihood of having a heart attack or stroke. You may also see improved cholesterol levels with regular aerobic exercise.
3. Reduced Risk of Osteoporosis and Fractures
Cardio is a well-known part of exercise but strength training is another aspect of it. By incorporating strength training and weight-bearing exercises into your exercise routine, you can fortify your muscles and improve bone density. Doing these things sets you up down the road because you will be less likely to experience osteoporosis and fractures as you age.
When you add strength training into your exercise routine you can also increase your muscle mass and the stronger your muscles are the less strain your bones and joints may experience.
4. Improved Balance and Flexibility
Now, let’s talk about balance and flexibility. When you do activities like stretching, yoga, and other types of exercises that contribute to improved flexibility and balance, you make your own life easier. This will make everyday tasks easier and can also reduce your chances of injury. The more flexible you are, the better your posture and overall physical performance will likely be.
Mental Health Benefits of Exercise
5. Reduced Stress and Anxiety
One of the biggest benefits of exercising is its ability to reduce stress and anxiety. Exercising triggers the release of endorphins, which are the body's natural stress relievers. When these are released, they help to make you feel good and reduce feelings of stress and anxiety. Many people use exercise as a form of stress relief because it can make them feel more relaxed and reduce the impact of daily stressors.
6. Improved Mood
Exercise is also thought to increase the production of neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin. These chemicals can encourage a better mood and feelings of happiness. Exercising on a regular basis can be a dependable way to enhance your mood and help you avoid getting “down in the dumps”.
If you suffer with depression symptoms, exercise can also be a great way to mitigate those. You may even notice increased energy levels after exercising which is a great benefit for people who often experience fatigue.
7. Enhanced Sleep Quality
Sleep is a huge part of both physical and mental health. Research shows that people who exercise regularly are likely to have improved sleep patterns. When you engage in exercise, it can help regulate your sleep cycle and can promote better quality sleep.
That being said, it is an effective way to reduce insomnia or other sleep-related issues, allowing you to enjoy more restful and rejuvenating sleep so that you are happy and ready for the next day.
Cognitive Benefits of Exercise
8. Enhanced Cognitive Function and Brain Health
If you are searching for improved cognitive function and overall brain health, then making exercise a regular part of your life is a great idea. Exercise has been shown to stimulate the production of hormones that encourage the growth of new brain cells. This encourages stronger connections between brain cells and enhances your cognitive abilities, such as memory, learning, and problem-solving.
9. Increased Productivity and Focus
Being product and focusing on tasks that take a long time can be a real challenge. Luckily, there are some ways to improve your ability to do these things, and exercise is one of them! One of the benefits of exercise is that it can boost your ability to be productive and focus on tasks.
Exercise has a positive impact on your attention span and ability to concentrate, which helps you to improve your work or study habits. Pairing exercise with relaxation techniques like breathing exercises can further increase your ability to be productive and focus.
10. Reduced the Risk of Cognitive Decline and Dementia
As you age, it is not uncommon to start worrying about a decline in your cognitive abilities or the chances of dementia creeping up. There are studies that suggest that regular exercise is linked to reduced chances of experiencing cognitive decline and neurodegenerative conditions like dementia and alzheimer's disease.
Keeping exercise a regular part of your routine throughout life can help you maintain brain health and lower your risk of developing cognitive impairments as you age.
Need help getting started with exercise? Apply for coaching with Lacey for a one on one, personal plan to help get you started with an exercise plan you actually enjoy. Apply here.
Social Benefits of Exercise
11. Encourages Positive Social Interactions
Depending on the type of person you are, you may find the opportunity to exercise in a group setting appealing. Participating in group fitness classes, team sports, and outdoor activities is a great way to make new friends and build upon existing relationships. Expanding your social circle and interacting with people on a regular basis can add a lot of value and joy to your life. Exercising in settings like these will allow you to connect, communicate, and build relationships, potentially leading to new friendships or support networks.
12. Fosters Community and Teamwork
If you are someone who enjoys feeling like you are a part of something, then participating in group-based exercise activities is a great idea. Whether you take part in team sports, group classes, or fitness challenges, you will have the opportunity to learn to work together with others as well as be supported by and support others.
Having a sense of camaraderie while pursuing common fitness goals can be really motivating and help keep you on track.
13. Encourages Group Activities and Bonding
I really enjoy having someone to share my experiences and aspirations with and doing exercise in a group setting makes that possible. When you start exercising with other people, you will likely make friends and begin connecting through shared experiences and forming life-long bonds.
You may even find yourself signing up for a local 5k or other fitness event that you can compete in together or side by side with your newly found friends.
Immune System Benefits of Exercise
14. Strengthens the Immune System
Having a strong and healthy immune system is key to staying healthy and able. Sometimes, sickness catches you off guard and wreaks havoc on your life, and there is not a lot you can do to avoid it. However, by exercising on a regular basis, you may be able to strengthen your immune system.
This is possible because exercise has the ability to stimulate the production of antibodies and white blood cells, both of which are important parts of the immune system. Having more of these helps the immune system to function better, which means it can work harder to keep sickness at bay.
15. Reduced Risk of Illnesses and Infections
When you have a strong and healthy immune system, it will be more effective at fighting off bacteria and viruses. Assuming that you are fueling properly before and after your exercise and getting plenty of rest to recover properly, exercise can help reduce your chances of contracting illnesses and infections by bolstering your body's natural defenses.
16. Speeds Up Recovery Time
If you have gotten unlucky and have to deal with an illness or infection, continuing to exercise at a moderate-intensity can actually encourage a quicker recovery time. You should keep the exercise moderate in order to be beneficial because your body will also need adequate rest and recovery time when ill. Doing exercise of vigorous-intensity can actually delay recovery time so be careful!
Self-Confidence and Self-Esteem Benefits of Exercise
17. Improves Self-Image and Body Confidence
Engaging in regular physical activity has the ability to improve your self-image and body confidence, but this is not strictly due to potential changes in your body composition and shape. It can have more to do with how you feel about yourself and your body’s ability to do things as you achieve your fitness goals.
While this may be related to your weight and appearance, it may also be about your overall strength and physical health. Improving these things has a positive influence on how you perceive your body, which can make you more confident.
18. Boosts Self-Esteem and Self-Worth
One thing is for sure, there is nothing quite like learning to do something physical that you could not do before to boost your self-esteem. Learning new exercises or slowly improving your ability to complete an exercise-related task can truly transform your self-esteem and self-worth.
When you work to overcome challenges in the gym, you transform more than just your body. You can truly change how you think about yourself and, honestly, even the whole trajectory of your life. Exercise can help you discover so much more about yourself than you ever knew possible and it is absolutely worth the struggle.
Takeaways
There seems to be a never ending list when it comes to the benefits of regular exercise. The list of benefits extends well beyond physical health. Exercise can positively impact your mental, emotional, and social well-being and can help reduce stress hormones, chronic pain, and symptoms of depression. It can also also improve sleep and foster a sense of community as well as promote self-confidence.
Ultimately, exercise is a great tool for enhancing your overall quality of life and by making sure your exercise routine is a combination of muscle-strengthening activities and aerobic activity you can make sure your reap the most benefits of exercise possible. So exercise on a regular basis. Take the stairs over the elevator, join a group fitness class with a friends, and in return you can improve your health and cultivate a more fulfilling and satisfying life.
Interested in getting started with exercise? Apply for 1 on 1 online coaching with me today!
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