Exercise should not simply be about losing weight. There are numerous benefits that exercise can provide for your general health, happiness and wellbeing. So how does it help? We’ve put together a list of the top reasons why you should be exercising.
Strengthened Bones
Moving our bodies exerts forces on our bones that encourages them to grow strong. Exercising before your later years, ideally throughout your whole life, assists in the prevention of brittle bones. Weight-bearing exercise like jogging, dancing, hiking and stair climbing is great for bones, though they also respond well to resistance exercises. The higher the impact of your exercise, the more the bone will be stimulated, so jogging or running is better than walking.
A Better Night’s Sleep
Exercise is one of the few things we can do to improve the amount of deep sleep we get, which is most closely associated with feeling refreshed when you wake. Exercising first thing in the morning is best for most people to improve their sleep at night. However, evening exercise can also help so long as you aim to be finished no less than two hours before your bedtime. Any later can cause an opposite, stimulating effect. Vigorous, aerobic exercise is the type most associated with an increase in sleep quality.
Improved Mood and Mental Health
Exercise can prevent and treat poor mental health and promote good mental health. Even if you don’t suffer from depression, anxiety or any other mental illness that you want help managing, you can enhance your wellbeing and vitality through exercise. It can boost mood, concentration, alertness, and even make you more optimistic. Studies have shown that over time, taking up physical exercise seems to reduce the risk of developing mental disorders, as physical activity also helps your body with growing new brain cells and new connections between brain cells.
Decreased Health Risks
Regular exercise will slash your risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer, dementia and Type-2 diabetes. Making the switch from being inactive to doing 30 minutes of moderate exercise a day can reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke and Type-2 diabetes by up to 40 per cent. Since heart disease is still the number one cause of death in Australia, it could arguably be the most productive 30 minutes in your day. So take a brisk walk, or cut your risks further still by going for a run.
Immunity Boost
Regular exercisers report fewer colds and other bugs. Moderate to vigorous exercise such as brisk walking, cycling, swimming, play a sport causes several positive changes in your immune system, including enhanced movement of important immune cells throughout the body. Although these changes are temporary, each exercise session represents a boost that reduces the risk of infection over the long term.
Exercise Physiotherapy Adelaide
For fun, safe and effective exercise programs for weight loss and well-being, join us at Aim Physiotherapy in Adelaide. View our Pilates exercise program timetable here or contact one of our friendly exercise physiotherapy professionals in Adelaide today.
