Regular exercise can help protect you from heart disease and stroke, high blood pressure, noninsulin-dependent diabetes, obesity, back pain, osteoporosis, and can improve your mood and help you to better manage stress.
For the greatest overall health benefits, experts recommend that you do 20 to 30 minutes of aerobic activity three or more times a week and some type of muscle strengthening activity and stretching at least twice a week. However, if you are unable to do this level of activity, you can gain substantial health benefits by accumulating 30 minutes or more of moderate-intensity physical activity a day, at least five times a week.
If you have been inactive for a while, you may want to start with less strenuous activities such as walking or swimming at a comfortable pace. Beginning at a slow pace will allow you to become physically fit without straining your body. Once you are in better shape, you can gradually do more strenuous activity.
How Physical Activity Impacts Health
Regular physical activity that is performed on most days of the week reduces the risk of developing or dying from some of the leading causes of illness and death.
• Reduces the risk of dying prematurely.
• Reduces the risk of dying prematurely from heart disease.
• Reduces the risk of developing diabetes.
• Reduces the risk of developing high blood pressure.
• Helps reduce blood pressure in people who already have high blood pressure.
• Reduces the risk of developing colon cancer.
• Reduces feelings of depression and anxiety.
• Helps control weight.
• Helps build and maintain healthy bones, muscles, and joints.
• Helps older adults become stronger and better able to move about without falling.
• Promotes psychological well-being.
Specific Health Benefits of Exercise:
- Heart Disease and Stroke. Daily physical activity can help prevent heart disease and stroke by strengthening your heart muscle, lowering your blood pressure, raising your high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels (good cholesterol) and lowering low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels (bad cholesterol), improving blood flow, and increasing your heart's working capacity.
- High Blood Pressure. Regular physical activity can reduce blood pressure in those with high blood pressure levels. Physical activity also reduces body fatness, which is associated with high blood pressure.
- Noninsulin-Dependent Diabetes. By reducing body fatness, physical activity can help to prevent and control this type of diabetes.
- Obesity. Physical activity helps to reduce body fat by building or preserving muscle mass and improving the body's ability to use calories. When physical activity is combined with proper nutrition, it can help control weight and prevent obesity, a major risk factor for many diseases.
- Back Pain. By increasing muscle strength and endurance and improving flexibility and posture, regular exercise helps to prevent back pain.
- Osteoporosis. Regular weight-bearing exercise promotes bone formation and may prevent many forms of bone loss associated with aging.
- Psychological Effects. Regular physical activity can improve your mood and the way you feel about yourself. Researchers also have found that exercise is likely to reduce depression and anxiety and help you to better manage stress.
Do you do sports? If yes what kind of?
I like swimming, I'm trying to practice it once a week but it is hard when you are lazy programmer ;]
ReplyDeleteRecently I bought new bike and I'm using it every day instead of bus.
I really like table tennis. Currently I'm waiting for some good weather to ride my bike. Unfortunately all sports that involve running long distances are our of the question for me.
ReplyDeleteOccasionally. On the beginning of this year I made strong decision and I started to go to swimming pool. Now I have a problems with regular going, but I hope that it will change in the nearest future ;)
ReplyDeleteI like skiing, swimming, but I don't do that very often, especially first one. :> I hope I'll use my bike in the nearest future:)
ReplyDeleteI love skiing too, but I'm able to do it for about 2 weeks a year ;-) I run once or twice per week for about an hour every time. I like swimming and riding bicycle, but I don't do it frequently.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI ride a bike quite a lot. Few years ago I used to do Freeride and Downhill but I is not for my nerves any more.
ReplyDeleteI swim regularly because I chose this as WF exercises in our university, so it is kind of motivator for me to on swimming pool twice a week.
ReplyDeleteOnes a week (twice a week in summer) I play tennis. Seasonally I skying and wake-boarding - I love both of those sports but unfortunately I can practice them only few weeks a year...:(
ReplyDeleteI do several kinds of sports such as swimming, snowboarding, skiing, going to the gym, etc. but my favorite is definitely riding a bike. Riding a bike is unique. First of all, anyone can do it, it's easy to learn (most of us learn it during childhood), it is not so expensive in comparison to many other sports and it positively affects your physical and mental health. Another advantage is that you can use your bike all year round and you not confined to just several weeks a year (as is the case with for example skiing).
ReplyDeletei'd love to practice some martial arts, but i think i don't have enough free time.
ReplyDeletemartial arts are great, as every man should be able to defend himself imo.
I like sitting and watching Eurosport channel…after few minutes of watching I feel really tired :)
ReplyDeleteSeriously though. Skiing & snowboarding, swimming, riding on the bike…making love…
*pront screen’ed*
I used to play tennis (2 years) then squash (3 years).
ReplyDeleteFew years ago my favourite sport was football. I played a lot. But now I fell in love with basketball.
ReplyDeleteI play basketball every week for 2h with my friends. With so stressful lifestyle I can't imagine my week with out basketball.