A New Year’s resolution to exercise isn’t just for those seeking weight loss.
Humans are designed to move. Regular, moderate activity improves quality of life and reduces the risk for illness. Movement facilitates vital functions in our bodies, and many we can’t voluntarily control. These include:
Stimulating the processes within bones that build stronger bones, thereby reducing risk of osteoporosis (more so than diet).
Protecting joints and lubricating them to help avoid injuries, reducing chronic pain, and lessening the frequency and intensity of arthritic attacks.
Assisting in maintaining and improving flexibility (the range of motion of your joints).
Reducing risk of injury and if injury occurs, recuperation is faster. Stronger muscles of the mid-body (core) can reduce the likelihood or frequency of backaches.
Helping internal organs function normally and facilitating the process of food moving through the intestines to prevent constipation.
Improving muscular strength, power, and endurance. Maintaining muscle as we age also ensures a faster metabolism, which increases energy and efficiency at “burning” calories. Stronger muscles also help the heart pump blood more easily throughout the body, particularly in returning blood to the heart.
Improving cardiovascular (heart and lung) strength and endurance, reduces hypertension, and lowers blood cholesterol and triglycerides.
Strengthening blood vessel walls to help maintain normal blood pressure, and strengthen blood vessel valves, preventing varicose veins.
Helping the body absorb nutrients and remove waste matter.
Increasing energy level by enlarging mitochondria (energy-producers in every cell), speeding metabolism, and increasing oxygen circulation.
Strengthening the immune system and lowering the risk of several types of cancer, particularly colon, breast, lung, and multiple myeloma cancers. Also lowers the risk of diabetes and heart disease.
Helping with pain tolerance by increasing the level of endorphins, the body’s natural pain killers, which can help reduce pain.
Promoting deeper sleep.
Improving self-esteem and confidence. The discipline and dedication of being regularly active reflects positively on other aspects of life.
Stimulating hormone release, assisting in maintaining hormone balance as we age.
Effective for stress control. Stronger circulatory system lowers heart rate, so it rises slowly in response to anxiety situations.
Improving mood, reducing depression and anxiety. Exercise has an “antidepressant effect,” helping to relieve tension, fatigue, sadness, or anger. Studies show even a single 20- to 60-minute exercise session increases positive mood feelings.
Enabling clearer thinking and reducing risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s and improves cognitive abilities in general. Exercise delivers oxygen and other nutrients more efficiently to the brain, improving the ability to concentrate, retain information, and think rationally.
Improving skin tone and elasticity, promoting a younger and healthier appearance. The more efficient blood circulation in a fit body improves the nutrients transported to skin cells and assists in removing waste.
Preparing you to cope with whatever life unexpectedly throws at you (run for the bus, hurry upstairs, shovel snow, lift or carry heavy objects).
And finally, exercise can help prevent weight gain as we age by preventing the metabolism from slowing. But remember, exercise is not just for losing weight. In fact, diet is a bigger factor for successful weight loss.
In 2021 and beyond, make the time to exercise – or simply get up and move more.
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Eve Lees has been active in the health & fitness industry since 1979. Currently, she is a Freelance Health Writer for several publication and speaks to business and private groups on various health topics.