BENEFITS OF EXERCISE

Exercise is known to be as any movement in your body that makes your muscles work and requires your body to burn as much calories as possible. There are many types of physical activities that may be done, including swimming, running, jogging, walking and dancing. Being as active as possible has shown to have many health benefits not only physically but also mentally. It may also even help to extend your lifetime. Here are some ways regular exercise can bring benefits to your body and brain.

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1.      IT CAN MAKE YOU FEEL HAPPIER

Exercise has been known to help in improving your mood and also decrease the feelings of depression, anxiety and stress. It causes changes in the parts of the brain that can regulate stress and anxiety effects on your body. It can also increase brain sensitivity for the hormones such as norepinephrine which can relieve the feelings of depression. Additionally, exercise can also increase the production the hormone endorphins, which helps in the production of positive feelings and reduces the perception of pain. Furthermore, exercise has also shown to reduce the symptoms in people suffering from anxiety. It can also help them be more aware of their mental state and cause a distraction from their fears. In fact, a study involving 24 women who had been diagnosed with depression showed that exercise of any intensity significantly decreased feelings of their depression.

2.      IT CAN HELP WITH WEIGHT LOSS

Some studies have shown that no exercise or inactivity of the body is a major factor in weight gain and obesity. To have a better understanding on the effect of exercise on weight reduction, it is important to understand the relationship between exercise and energy expenditure. Your body spends most of the energy in only three ways which are known to be digesting food, exercising and maintaining body functions like your heartbeat and breathing. On the contrary, regular exercise has been shown to increase your metabolic rate, which will burn more calories and help in weight loss.

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3.      IT CAN INCREASE YOUR ENERGY LEVELS

Exercise can be a real energy booster for healthy people, especially for those whom are suffering from various medical conditions. Furthermore, exercise can significantly increase energy levels for people suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome ( CFS ) and other serious illnesses. In fact, exercise seems to be more effective at combating CFS than other treatments, including passive therapies like relaxation and stretching, or no treatment at all. Additionally, exercise has been shown to increase energy levels in people suffering from progressive illnesses, such as cancer, HIV/AIDS and multiple sclerosis.

4.      IT CAN HELP YOUR BRAIN HEALTH AND MEMORY

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 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.

5.      IT CAN HELP IN SKIN HEALTH

Your skin can be affected by the amount of oxidative stress in your body. Oxidative stress occurs when the body's antioxidant defences cannot completely repair the damage that free radicals cause to cells. This can damage their internal structures and deteriorate your skin. Even though intense and exhaustive physical activity can contribute to oxidative damage, regular moderate exercise can increase your body's production of natural antioxidants, which help protect cells. In the same way, exercise can stimulate blood flow and induce skin cell adaptations that can help delay the appearance of skin aging.

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Exercise offers incredible benefits that can improve nearly every aspect of your health from the inside out. Regular physical activity can increase the production of hormones that make you feel happier and help you sleep better. Whether you practice a specific sport or follow the guideline of 150 minutes of activity per week, you will inevitably improve your health in many ways

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