We all know that workout is important in our daily lives, but many of us don’t understand why or what it can do for us. It’s important to remember that we evolved from nomadic ancestors who spent their entire lives moving around in search of food and shelter, often traveling long distances on a daily basis. Our bodies are designed and evolved to be active on a regular basis.
We are designed to move in the same way that a sports car is designed to go fast. If the sports car is driven once a week for a three-mile round trip through a town center, it will most likely develop engine problems fairly quickly. People develop problems over time if they sit at a desk or in front of the TV all day and limit their physical activity.
What Are The Benefits of Workout?
There are many benefits of regular workout and maintaining fitness and these include:
Exercise Boosts Energy Levels
Exercise increases the strength and efficiency with which your cardiovascular system transports oxygen and nutrients to your muscles. When your cardiovascular system is in good working order, everything seems to be easier, and you have more energy for the fun things in life.
Muscle Strength Is Improved By Workout
Staying active maintains muscle strength and flexibility in joints, tendons, and ligaments, allowing you to move more freely and avoid injury. By keeping joints in proper alignment, strong muscles and ligaments reduce your risk of joint and lower back pain. They also aid in the improvement of coordination and balance.
Workout Can Assist You In Maintaining A Healthy Weight
The more calories you burn, the more calories you burn. Furthermore, the more muscle you gain, the higher your metabolic rate becomes, causing you to burn more calories even when you aren’t exercising. What was the end result? You may lose weight and improve your physical appearance, which will boost your self-esteem.
Exercise Enhances Brain Function
Physical activity increases blood flow and oxygen levels in the brain. It also promotes the release of brain chemicals (hormones) responsible for the production of cells in the hippocampus, the part of the brain that controls memory and learning. This, in turn, improves concentration and cognitive ability, lowering the risk of cognitive degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.
Workout Is Beneficial To Your Heart
Exercise lowers LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol that clogs your arteries), raises HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol), and lowers blood pressure, reducing the stress on your heart. It also helps to strengthen your heart muscle. Exercise, when combined with a healthy diet, reduces the risk of developing coronary heart disease.
Regular Workout Reduces Your Chances Of Developing Type 2 Diabetes
Regular exercise helps to control blood glucose levels, which aids in the prevention or postponement of the onset of type 2 diabetes. Furthermore, exercise aids in the prevention of obesity, which is a major contributor to the development of type 2 diabetes.
Workout strengthens your immune system
Exercise improves your body’s ability to transport oxygen and nutrients throughout your body, which are needed to fuel the cells that fight bacteria and viruses.
Staying active lowers the risk of developing certain degenerative bone diseases
Weight-bearing exercise, such as running, walking, or weight training, reduces your risk of osteoarthritis and osteoporosis – the adage “use it or lose it” applies to bones.
Workout may help to lower the risk of developing certain cancers
Being fit may reduce the risk of colon cancer, breast cancer, and possibly lung and endometrial cancer. According to the Seattle Cancer Research Centre, being overweight and sedentary is linked to 35% of all cancer deaths.
People who are physically active tend to sleep better
Physical activity makes you tired, which makes you more ready to sleep. A good night’s sleep improves overall wellness and can help reduce stress.
Workout boosts your mood and gives you a better sense of well-being
Physical activity causes endorphins to be released, making you feel better and more relaxed. This, in turn, improves your mood and reduces stress.
Exercise can aid in the prevention and treatment of mental illnesses such as depression
Physical activity can help you meet new people, reduce stress, cope with frustration, give you a sense of accomplishment, and give you some much-needed “me time,” all of which can help with depression.
Keeping fit can help to mitigate some of the effects of aging
Exercise can be enjoyable! Getting in shape does not have to mean running on a treadmill for hours at your local gym; it can also mean taking up a dance class or taking up a new hobby such as fencing or mountain biking. It could be a group or team activity, such as football or karate. Regardless of the type of exercise you choose, you will almost certainly meet new people and possibly make new friends.
How Much Workout Should You do?
Current guidelines from the American College of Sports Medicine suggest that adults between the ages of 19 and 64 should try to be active every day and follow the following recommendations to stay healthy.
Cardiorespiratory Exercise
Cardiorespiratory exercise, also known as ‘cardio,’ is any exercise that raises the heart rate and breathing rate. Walking, running, swimming, cycling, dancing, and team sports such as football, hockey, and basketball are examples of such exercises. Every week, you should get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise. These guidelines can be met by engaging in 30-60 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise five times per week, 20-60 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise three times per week, or a combination of the two. For those just starting out, a gradual increase in exercise time, frequency, and intensity is advised.
If you begin slowly, you are more likely to stay on track and avoid injury. Even if you don’t meet these bare minimums, you can still benefit from some activity.
Resistance Exercise
Resistance exercise focuses on working the body’s muscle groups and increasing strength. Adults should train each major muscle group twice or three times per week, using a variety of workouts and equipment.
- For older people or previously sedentary adults who are new to exercise, very light or low-intensity resistance training is best.
- Adults can improve their strength and power by performing two to four sets of each exercise.
- For each exercise, 8-12 repetitions increase strength and power, 10-15 repetitions increase strength in middle-aged and older people just starting out, and 15-20 repetitions increase muscular endurance.
- Adults are advised to wait at least 48 hours between resistance training sessions.
Moderate vs. Vigorous Intensity
There are several ways to classify the intensity of any exercise, some based on heart rate, others on perceived exertion, and still others on how the exercise affects your metabolic rate.Moderate-intensity activity should raise your heart rate, make you breathe faster, and make you sweat.
Moderate-intensity exercise examples include:
- Walking at a fast pace (100 steps per minute)
- Dancing is a form of entertainment.
- Aqua aerobics or swimming
- Cycling at a relaxed pace (5-9mph)
- Badminton or tennis in pairs
- Volleyball is a sport which helps you to do moderate workout.
Vigorous intensity exercise causes you to breathe heavily, raises your heart rate significantly, and makes you sweat profusely.
The following are some examples of vigorous intensity exercise:
- jogging
- Power walking at 5 mph or more, or brisk uphill walking
- Cycling at speeds greater than 10 mph
- Aerobics is an abbreviation for Aerobics
- The martial arts
- Sports that are competitive (football, basketball, rugby, etc.)
- Rope skipping/jumping
- Rowing is a sport which helps you to do vigorous-intensity workout.
Wrapping It Up
Overall, any activity that gets you moving, raises your heart rate, and gives you enough pleasure to do it on a regular and frequent basis is beneficial in almost every way. Workout has amazing health benefits that can change almost any aspect of your health from the inside out. Physical activity on a regular basis will boost the output of hormones that make you feel happier and help you sleep better.
It can also enhance the look of your skin, help you lose weight and keep it off, lower your risk of chronic disease, and improve your sex life. If you participate in a particular sport or adhere to the 150-minute-per-week-workout-guideline, you will undoubtedly boost your health in a variety of ways.
Have fun, eat well, and feel good.