7 Health Benefits of Regular Exercise

7 Health Benefits of Regular Exercise

Do you have an active lifestyle? Do you engage in regular physical activity? Exercise is very important in our lives and to experience the benefits of the exercise we need to make it part of our daily lives. Exercise is any activity that gets your muscles working and burning excess calories.

There are many forms of exercise including walking, running, jogging, dancing, swimming, and lifting weights, just to mention a few.

Many people have their lives carried away by their jobs and forget about themselves. Thus they end up having inactive lifestyles. This can be detrimental to your health. A lot of people are struggling with obesity, diabetes, and other lifestyle problems because of not incorporating exercise into their daily lives.

There are many health benefits of being active, both physically and mentally. Regular exercise may even help you feel better about yourself. In this blog, you’re going to learn about the health benefits of regular exercise. Keep reading to discover more.

Regular exercise helps control weight

Due to our busy lives, we tend not to be mindful of what we eat and most of the time, we prefer fast foods to healthier ones. People love these fries because they are easy to prepare and can easily be ordered online. These foods have lots of sugars and bad fats which only do more harm to your body than good.

You gain weight so fast and before you realize it you already have weight problems. These fast foods should be avoided and regular exercise can help regulate your weight.

Physical activities help you burn excess calories. If you are struggling with excess weight, going to the gym could be a great treat for you. You will get to engage in a variety of exercises of varying intensities that will help you burn more calories during a session.

Whether you are dealing with weight issues or not, engaging in regular exercise even for about 20 minutes can help you control your weight. Make sure that you’re active every day by taking the stairs, jogging, running or even hitting the gym.

Regular exercise increases your energy levels 

Regular exercise can boost your energy levels by improving your muscle strength endurance. When you engage in physical activity more oxygen and nutrients are supplied to your tissues. At the same time, your cardiovascular system is actively involved meaning that you get more energy to go about your daily activities.

Fit people are usually more productive and they don’t get tired quickly. They’re not victims of fatigue and thus their quality of life is just good. So, exercise more to have increased energy levels.

Regular exercise promotes your brain function

Regular exercise is great for your brain. Brain function can degrade when you lead an inactive life. People with inactive lifestyles might experience memory loss, depression, and slow learning. Also, they might experience an earlier onset of Alzheimer’s disease, which affects many Americans.

Exercise alters the structural and functional aspect of the brain. It also promotes blood flow to the brain which feeds the growth of new blood vessels and new blood cells as well. Adequate blood flow to the brain and the growth of new cells supports and improves brain function.

Regular exercise also impacts the hippocampus, a part of the brain that plays a vital role in memory and learning. It promotes the growth of this part thus helping improve the mental function in older adults.

Regular exercise fights off illnesses 

Regular exercise combats several illnesses and health conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, arthritis, osteoporosis, high cholesterol and stroke among many others.

Exercise improves high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, which is the good cholesterol and helps decrease the unhealthy triglycerides. Thus your blood circulation improves decreasing the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Various forms of exercise such as cardio training increase your heart rate. The heart, which is also a muscle gets stronger when you exercise, reducing the risk of heart disease.

Regular exercise improves the strength of your joints and muscles. This, in turn, reduces the likelihood of pain and aches and other joint and muscle problems that are common among older adults who live inactive lifestyles.

People who exercise are less likely to catch flu or cold because regular exercise improves their immune system.

So, if you want to keep certain illnesses and health conditions at bay, you should consider living an active lifestyle.

Regular exercise promotes better sleep quality

Many people struggle to get good quality sleep. Lack of enough sleep affects your quality of life and lowers your productivity during the day. You always wake up tired, feeling not ready for the day.

Engaging in regular physical activity can improve your sleep and help you relax. You will be able to fall asleep faster and remain asleep. You will always wake up feeling relaxed and ready for the day. However, you should never exercise close to bedtime as it could make you feel too active and energized to go to bed.

Regular exercise improves your mood 

Exercise can improve your mood. When you engage in physical activity, your brain releases various chemicals that lift your mood, making you feel happier, less anxious and more relaxed.

Exercise triggers changes in various parts of the brain that regulate stress and anxiety. Exercise is, therefore, natural treatment for anxiety and stress.

Also, it can help relieve some symptoms of depression by increasing the sensitivity of the brain for serotonin and norepinephrine hormones.

You can experience a boost in your mood regardless of the intensity of your physical activity. Exercising even for a short period will have a powerful impact on your mood. So to fight your negative moods, probably after a long day at work, just hit the gym, you will get home feeling rejuvenated and relaxed.

Regular exercise improves your sex life

Regular exercise can boost your sex life. Engaging in physical activity improves the function of the cardiovascular system, increases blood circulation, leads to toned muscles and boosts your energy levels. All of this helps promote your sex life.

When you feel good about your physical appearance and have increased confidence in yourself, your sex life may experience a boost.

Regular exercise also increases your frequency of sexual activity. So, if you want to improve your sex life, get more physically active.

Bonus: Exercise is fun

Exercise can be a lot of fun and gives you an opportunity to socialize with others. Socializing is great for your mental wellbeing. There’s no better way to unwind and enjoy the great outdoors then exercising. Running with a fitness partner in the great outdoors allows you to get soaked in nature.

Taking a fitness class or a dance class is even more fun. Your life will never be boring again. You will be happy and have a sense of belonging when you see other members of the fitness class sweating it out. It is even more satisfying when you learn a new dance move and do it perfectly.

Conclusion 

The health benefits of regular exercise are many. Engaging in regular exercise is a great way to experience a boost in your energy levels, lift your mood, fight off illness and have fun. Regular exercise strengthens your muscles and joints, controls weight and improves your sex life.

How to Introduce Exercise into Your Weekly Schedule

How to Introduce Exercise into Your Weekly Schedule

We all know that exercise is important in our lives. Along with eating a healthy diet, we need to maintain an active lifestyle and this should be among our top priorities in life. Many times, we tend to give excuses for not incorporating exercise into our weekly schedule or daily schedules.

Well, you might be having a busy schedule but that doesn’t mean that you should not maintain an active lifestyle. It’s time to quit giving excuses and find ways to include exercise to your weekly schedule. Sometimes, we don’t even realize that we have time for everything.

We don’t realize that we can create time for exercise because we are too busy giving excuses. This is not the way to go. If you just take some time to plan and allocate time for everything you will realize that you have enough time to exercise.

Exercise doesn’t have to take a huge chunk of your time every day. 30 minutes is enough. If you are wondering how to introduce exercise to your weekly schedule, this blog will teach you how to do exactly that. Keep reading to learn more.

Starting small is a good idea

One of the best ways to introduce exercise to your busy weekly schedule is by starting small. You want to be easy on yourself so you can keep doing it until you fully adapt. By starting I mean you need to do simple exercises.

Starting big with complex exercises is not the way to go especially if you have a busy schedule. In fact, in fitness, a beginner should not start with the complex exercises. If they do they will give up so fast. You need a rigorous workout schedule to get instant results. You will quit without even seeing the results.

Fitness is all about consistency and patience. Doing simple exercises when you are just starting will allow your body and mind to adjust to making exercise part of your weekly schedule or daily schedule as well.

You need to allocate time to perform simple exercises. Therefore, start by looking at your work schedule and determine the amount of time you can devote to exercise every week. Do not feel discouraged if you cannot get plenty of time from your schedule. Just allocate the much that you can find. It will go a long way.

Once you have determined the amount of time you can allocate to exercise, it’s time to establish your exercise goal. In this case, for instance, your goal can be exercising for 30 minutes a week for the first week, and then progress to 30 minutes twice a week and then 30 minutes three times a week.

That way your body and mind will adjust fully to this schedule and an active lifestyle will become one of your top priorities in life.

Have the right mindset 

Having the right mindset is important in health and fitness. Here we are talking about having a positive mindset. If you truly want to introduce exercise to your weekly schedule, you to stop having those negative thoughts about exercise or workouts.

Many people think that a healthy lifestyle is boring, that working out is tiring and it’s something for bodybuilders. Others just keep worrying about their fitness level and so they don’t start exercising because they lack willpower. Others think they are too busy to exercise and that exercise is a waste of time.

Negative thoughts will only kill your willpower. The best way to deal with that is to have a positive mindset. Just think positively. Think of how exercise will help you get in shape, keep you feeling good about yourself and keep illnesses at bay.

Thinking positively will help you find adequate time for exercise and make healthier lifestyle choices. Incorporating exercise into your daily life is all for your own good. You stand to benefit. If something will improve your life significantly, why wouldn’t you find time for it?

Adjust your time to wake up

Some people have very demanding jobs such that they cannot find time to exercise during the day. However, that doesn’t mean that you should not exercise. You can do something about that, and one way to do that is to wake up earlier.

You can wake up one hour before your normal time and take a morning run or get to a nearby gym for some workout.

To ensure that you have enough time for exercise and preparation to get ready for a workout, ensure you have laid out your workout clothes the night before and what you will wear to work. This will ensure there’s no time wasted.

Have a support system

In the fitness journey having a support system is really helpful. A support system keeps you accountable and committed to your workout schedule. A support system can be your friend, colleague or family member, whom you workout with. 

If you’re having any challenges in your active lifestyle, your support system is there to encourage you to keep going. You can join a fitness class together with your friend and always have them accompany you to the gym. You will in actual sense be supporting each other.

Get a gym membership

Getting a gym membership in a gym near your workplace is a good decision as you will stay committed to your workouts. Remember, membership costs you money, so you don’t want to pay for membership and simply do nothing.

Joining a gym near your workplace can make it easier to incorporate exercise into your daily life. Working out in a gym is better as you will have access to plenty of equipment and professional fitness trainers who will guide you in performing the right forms of exercise.

If you have a gym at your workplace, then you are lucky, so you utilize to stay fit.

Always take the stairs 

How many times do you take the stairs? Taking the stairs is one of the easiest forms of exercise and you do not have to create time for that. You can easily include it to your daily schedule by just taking the stairs when you get to work, go for lunch and when you leave work. Isn’t that easy?

Taking is a simple form of cardio training as it increases your heart rate which is good for the health of your heart. Also, by taking the stairs you will be improving the health of your bones, joints, and legs.

Make your exercise schedule a habit

It’s always said that it takes 21 days to form a habit. You want to make your exercise schedule a habit or a part of your daily life. This is one of the best habits you will ever have.

To make it a habit, always have a look at it in the morning when you wake up. Your mind will be aware that the plan for that day also includes exercise. It will always be at the back of your mind and there is no way your day should end without fulfilling it.

I would advise you to create an exercise schedule and pin it on the wall in your bedroom in a strategic place in which it will be the very first thing you see when you wake up.

Something becomes a habit if you enjoy it. So, you need to perform exercises that you enjoy to make them your habit. Also, something can become your habit if it’s benefitting you. Exercising will surely bring forth long-term results.

Always track your exercises

Tracking your exercises is important as you will be able to measure your progress and determine your activity level. When you realize that your activity level is improving you will be motivated to keep keeping on. It feels good when you realize you can do something you couldn’t do a few days ago.

Note down all the accomplished workout sessions at the end of the day, week, month and even year. This way you will gain more insights about your progress.

Quit making excuses 

Excuses should never be part of your life in whatever you do. To introduce exercise to your weekly schedule quit making excuses. Create time for exercise because you have that time. With one or two adjustments, you will realize you have plenty of time to exercise.

Conclusion 

The above tips will guide you on how to introduce exercise to your weekly schedule. When starting be easy on yourself and start with simple exercises. You need to have the right mindset about an active lifestyle. Waking up earlier than your usual time to exercise can be helpful, especially if you have a demanding job during the day. You also need to build a support system, make your exercise schedule a habit and track your activity level to stay motivated.

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The Benefits of Adding Cardio to Your Workout

The Benefits of Adding Cardio to Your Workout

Cardio should be part of your daily workout. When you are just starting your fitness journey, cardio is one of the first words you will come across, however, you will also realize that many people don’t add it in their fitness routine. The reasons for not adding cardio to an exercise program may vary from one person to another.

There is still a good number of fitness enthusiasts who don’t realize the benefits of adding cardio to their daily workout. Well, you should know that cardio is an essential aspect of any workout. Whatever inspired you to start an exercise program, cardio exercises should be include in the plan.

Cardio exercise can be defined as any activity that increases your heart rate. The activity is rhythmic and will help burn more calories. Cardiovascular exercise also increases blood circulation throughout the body.

There are many advantages of adding cardio to your daily workouts. In this blog, you will discover the various benefits of cardio which will be reasons enough to add cardio to your routine. Keep reading to discover more.

Benefits of adding cardio to your routine

Here are the benefits of adding cardio to your daily workouts.

Cardio increases metabolism

Cardiovascular exercise, or simply cardio positively impacts your metabolism. Metabolism is an umbrella word for all the various processes that happen in the body. Performing cardio increases the rate of those processes, therefore making it easier for you to lose weight or maintain weight.

Cardio sessions can vary depending on the intensity of the exercises. For instance, more intense cardio sessions may include an exercise such as HIIT which increases your metabolic rate.

Cardio supports heart health

 Your heart health is very important and so you should do whatever it takes to keep your heart healthy, and that should include cardio. Your heart is a muscle which pumps blood, and as you know all muscles in the body should be put to work to keep them healthy and strong.

Cardiovascular exercise is one great exercise to keep your heart healthy and strong. Cardio gets your heart pumping at a faster rate throughout the session, which is great for keeping it healthy. So, you should perform cardio regularly to ensure that your heart is healthy, in shape and strong. Don’t always get stuck with simple exercises, do things that will get your heart pumping at a faster rate.

Cardio improves your recovery ability

In the fitness journey, you will need time to recover after a session in the gym, but you don’t want the recovery to take so long. You want the recovery time to be short. Well, several types of cardio exercise can help improve your recovery ability. These types of exercises involve lower, moderately paced movements such as light jog or walking on the treadmill.

This kind of exercises, when done after a hard session in the gym can help effectively remove the unwanted fatigue or simply the byproducts that developed during the hard session in the gym. This will in turn can result in the reduction of your DOMS, or delayed onset of muscle soreness. Also it promotes the flow of oxygen rich blood to the muscles thus facilitating the repair and rebuilding process of the tissues. Therefore, this means you will get back to the gym for hard sessions quicker.

If you want to build muscle, you need to strike the perfect balance between enough workouts and adequate rest to allow the muscles to repair themselves. If you happen to be skewed on either of the direction, you will not get the desired results.

Remember, you need to keep working your muscle more frequently to gain new muscle. Here cardio comes in handy.

Cardio boosts your brain health

Regular cardio training is good for your brain health as it encourages the release of endorphins, which are happy hormones. These hormones effectively provide pain and stress relief and boosts your confidence and emotional stability.

When we’re aging our brains loses tissue which can be detrimental on the brain function, but cardio training can help slow the loss and boost cognitive performance. So add cardio to your daily workout to support your brain health and feel good about yourself.

Cardio can improve your immune system

Performing cardiovascular exercise regularly improves your immune system. You will be less likely to catch colds and other viral illnesses. Cardio training promotes the release of immunoglobulins, antibodies that help improve your immune system.

Cardio lowers blood pressure

This another good reason you should add cardio to your daily workout, especially if you have blood pressure problems. Cardio training can be an effective way to control your blood pressure symptoms lowering it to the healthy level.

Cardio can help deal with depression and fatigue

Depression has become common in the today’s world and millions of people across the globe continue suffering from it. While there are prescription medications to deal with depression, cardio is a natural way to deal with this condition.

Fatigue is another condition that can take a toll in your life, lowering the quality of your life and your productivity at work. You should consider adding cardio training to your routine to deal with fatigue as well.

Cardio can help you manage diabetes

If you’re suffering from diabetes, cardio training can help you manage it. Cardio training does so by enhancing the ability of your muscles to utilize glucose, thus helping you to control your blood sugar levels. Therefore, you will not experience skewed blood sugar levels from as often as you used to before.

Cardio helps manage your weight

Cardio training is a great way to burn more calories, helping you lose weight and manage your weight as well. Adding cardiovascular training to your workout routine will result in a well-toned body with a good posture. You will be able lose weight and keep it off. At the same time, you will need to lower your calorie intake.

Cardio training can boost your mood

Having a good mood is great for you and your relationship with other people. Cardio exercise can boost your mood by releasing the happy hormones in our bodies which also help reduce the symptoms of depression.

You don’t need to perform long sessions of cardio, a short session can significantly impact your mood.

How to choose a cardio exercise

You have just discovered the benefits of adding cardio to your workout, it’s time to choose cardio exercise. A few factors should be considered, such as what aligns with your personality, what is accessible to you and what is comfortable for you.

The gym has a lot of options for you to choose from including various equipment that you might not have space for at home.

You need to choose a cardio exercise that you can tolerate when you’re just starting. Go for something that you can enjoy or even consider joining a fitness class to socialize with others and get the motivation to keep going.

It is recommended to perform cardio at least three times a week. You want an exercise that accessible and convenient for you. You might also consider having a personal trainer to keep you accountable and motivated.

Don’t perform one from of cardio exercise every other time. You need to perform other new forms to keep you challenged achieving milestones.

How long should you perform cardio workout

Once you have settled on the type of cardio exercise to do, you need to know how long you should perform it. When you’re just starting, make things simple for you and adjust as you progress in your fitness journey. So, you might want to start with simple types of cardio training.

Cardio workout, specifically for beginners should be done for at least 20 minutes and a maximum of 60 minutes for each session. You can also split your exercise into smaller bits and perform them throughout the day. That way you will still reap the benefits of cardio.

The focus of a beginner should be on building a strong cardio foundation which will make it easier for them to progress without ever thinking of giving up on it. Cardio should never be overdone. Start with simple exercises and then increase the intensity and duration as you progress to advanced levels.

Conclusion

You have discovered the benefits of adding cardio to your daily workout. Cardio training is great for your heart health, improves metabolism, boosts your immune system and improves your brain health. For those suffering from diabetes, cardio can help manage the condition. Cardio also lowers your recovery time, thus you can get to the gym quicker and workout your muscles to add more muscle.

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