Exercise does not only help with weight loss. There are just so many profound benefitsfor the body of regular exercise; and exercise too benefits every type of disease that humans can get.
Lets remind ourselves once again about some of the amazing benefits of daily physical activity:
- Exercise improves your mood by stimulating the release of different chemicals (endorphins, glutamate) and neurotransmitters in the brain (serotonin, dopamine and noradrenalin). The more depressed you are, the longer you must exercise – upto a hour each day. This remedy will be more powerful in improving your mood, outlook on life and overall vitality, than any anti-depressant you can take, without any of the side-effects!
- Helps to control blood sugar levels, and regular exercise greatly improves insulin and leptin resistance – more powerful than any drug in improving the sensitivity of these two hormones!
- Slows the aging process by naturally boosting your body’s own production of human growth hormone (hGH) – a hormone that promotes muscle growth, burns off extra fat and promotes health. Human growth hormone levels start declining from the age of 30, which starts the aging process. Short bouts of intense exercise are very effective in boosting hGH levels as one gets older.
- Exercise also slows the aging process in further ways – muscle stem cells are stimulated by exercise and they play an important part in muscle repair. The length of the terminal caps of your chromosomes (telomere length) is considered to be a marker of aging – a decrease in length accompanies aging. Even moderate amounts of physical activity may be associated with longer telomeres, and hence greater health and longevity.
- Regular exercises (eg yoga) for core muscles will improve posture, and prevent very common back pain, while also improving muscle strength and flexibility. Sitting for many hours each day radically affects both ones posture and ones metabolism.
- Regular daily exercise improves blood and oxygen supply to brain cells, which encourages new brain cells to form in the hippocampus in particular, which is the seat of short term memory – we are all scared of losing cognitive ability and memory as we age!
- Daily exercise improves sleeping patterns – one falls asleep more easily and sleeps more deeply for longer periods. Enough sleep is vital for both physical and mental health.
- Daily exercise reduces waist circumference, and these fat cells are the source of many hormones that drive inflammation and insulin resistance – deadly enemies of good health
- Many research studies in both men and women have shown significant reduced risk of all types of cancer in physically active people. It is suggested that this occurs through the multiple benefits of increased blood flow with oxygen and immune cells to all parts of the body; the improved control of blood glucose levels with less insulin resistance, which deters the growth of cancer cells, and through enhanced immune surveillance of the body. Recent studies have also clearly shown that exercise not only reduces your risk of cancer, but that in cancer patients, it improves recovery rates and reduces risk of cancer recurrence.
Whatever your age, there is no time like right now to start some form of exercise program. Your self esteem, your zest for living and your whole outlook on life is going to improve greatly! Your body will rejoice and respond with good health, free of all aches and pain!
“Exercise does not take time out of your life, but puts life back into your time”
HEALTH INSIGHT
MARCH 2017
