The Importance of Getting and Staying Fit
There is no denying how important staying healthy and fit is, especially as we grow older. Being fit means being healthy. To stay fit, you will need to eat healthily and exercise frequently. It is also important to remember that we evolved from nomadic ancestors who spent most of their time moving around for food and shelter and traveling huge distances daily. We are designed and have evolved to be active regularly. Being active and fit has been linked to numerous benefits, both mentally and physically. These benefits include:
- It Reduces Your Risk of Chronic Diseases
The primary cause of chronic diseases is the lack of regular physical activities. Working out regularly has been shown to improve cardiovascular fitness, insulin sensitivity, and body composition while at the same time reducing blood fat levels and blood pressure.
On the other hand, lack of regular exercise can result in a considerable increase in belly fat, which significantly increases your risk for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and early death.
- It Increases Your Energy Levels
Physical exercise is a huge energy booster for healthy people and also those individuals who are suffering from a number of medical conditions. Exercise can also increase energy levels for people who are suffering from CFS (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) and other serious illnesses. It is more effective in fighting against CFS as compared to other treatments.
- It Is Good for Your Bones and Muscles
Physical exercises play an important role in building and maintaining strong bones and muscles. Physical exercises such as resistance training can stimulate building when paired with enough protein intake. This is possible since physical exercise releases hormones that promote the ability of the muscles to absorb amino acids, and thus the muscles grow.
Exercise also helps in building bone density when you are younger, and also helps in the prevention of osteoporosis as you age. High-impact exercises such as running and gymnastics or odd-impact sports like basketball and soccer have been found to promote a higher bone density as compared to non-impact sports such as cycling and swimming.
- It Can Help You Lose Weight
Research studies have linked inactivity or sedentary lifestyles with obesity and weight gain. Regular physical exercise will increase your metabolic rate, and this will result in more calories being burned. Studies have shown that by combining resistance training and cardio, you can maximize muscle mass maintenance and fat loss.
- It can Boost Your Mood
Physical exercises can boost your mood by decreasing feelings of anxiety, depression, and stress. Exercise produces changes in the parts of the brain, which regulates anxiety and stress. It also increases brain sensitivity for the hormone nor-epinephrine and serotonin, which relieves feelings of depression.
It also increases the production of endorphins – which help in producing feelings of happiness and reducing the perception of pain. Additionally, studies have shown that exercise can reduce anxiety symptoms.
Remarkably, it doesn’t matter how intense your workout session is. Your mood will benefit immensely from a workout, no matter the intensity of the exercise.
