The Importance of Exercise
Many people think that just maintaining a healthy diet classifies them as all-around healthy people, but they forget that exercising is one of the most important benefits they can do for their body and mind. In fact, exercising is the key to making one feel better, having lots of energy, and living a longer life. We all should appreciate the feeling of being alive and being in a great mood, so why not do something that brings about that good feeling and state of mind. Although we know exercising is a main factor when controlling body weight, it also affects the heart, brain, muscles and mind. Knowing why exercising is important and how it contributes to the body and mind can contribute to a person living a healthier life.
Exercise is a major activity that one should include in his or her everyday life. We know that physical activity can help maintain a healthy body weight, but there are more advantages. For example, without exercise, our body is in higher risk of many diseases such as heart attacks, heart disease, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, stroke, obesity, and diabetes (Fitnesstips101, 2012). Along with helping to prevent these more strenuous diseases, exercise also helps the immune system, which can prevent smaller illnesses (Fitnesstips101, 2012). It also advances the mind in terms of learning and mood. Exercise is very much capable of turning a bad day into a great one. To include physical activity in one’s daily routine can begin by simply going for a walk, jog, or run. Also, riding a bike to work instead of driving, swimming, playing sports, and dancing are excellent fun ways to incorporate exercise. If a person does one or more of these activities for at least 30 minutes throughout the day, he or she will begin to see a huge change (Fitnesstips101, 2012). However, one must remember exercise is all about consistency, so one must keep up the hard work to make progress.
The heart is the most important organ in the body and we cannot live without it. We all should do our utmost to take care of our heart, and exercising is one way to assure that. “Exercise helps keep your arteries flexible and malleable, which prevents heart disease and heart attacks” (Hospital, 2008). Heart disease and heart attacks are two of the most common causes of death and exercising regularly can reduce this fact. According to NY Times Magazine, “People who maintain an active lifestyle have a 45% lower risk of developing heart disease” (A.D.A.M, 2012). Being active makes that big of a difference in one’s life. Exercising also strengthens the heart and cardiovascular system by increasing the heart rate which allows more oxygen to circulate at a faster pace. The stronger the heart, the more blood can pump through the body (Klein, 2013). No one should want to experience the failure of his or her heart when it is preventable.
In addition to the heart being the most important organ of the body, the brain is mutually important. When exercising, we increase our blood flow which stirs up our brain cells and allows them to function at a higher level. This causes the person to feel more alert and awake (Klein, 2013). The feeling of being more alert and awake can create a good mood for a person. Exercising also can protect the brain from diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and stroke. This is possibly due to the brain getting use to this frequent surge of blood when one works out regularly and adapts by turning certain genes on or off (Klein, 2013). Exercise is a continuous fighter of illnesses.
Also, there are three main parts of the brain that exercising benefits the most, the hippocampus, the hypothalamus, and the pituitary glands. First, the hippocampus is the part of the brain that deals with learning, memory, and making new brain cells. To make new brain cells need extra oxygen already, and exercising can help with that. Next, the hypothalamus involves body temperature and the balance of salt and water. Exercising heats the body which alerts the skin to produce sweat to keep the body cool. Lastly, the pituitary glands alert the adrenal glands to pump out hormones necessary for movement and release growth hormones. When exercising, this part of the brain tells the body to burn fat for energy instead of muscle (Klein, 2013). Along with reading and sleeping, exercising is one of the best things one can do to power up the brain.
There are many exercises people can do to maintain a healthy heart and brain. For instance, aerobic exercises such as swimming, biking, dancing, walking, jogging, jumping rope, cross-country skiing, skating, rowing, and low-impact aerobics or water aerobics help to get the heart pumping. Aerobic exercise has the most benefit by strengthening the heart and lungs which “improves the body’s ability to use oxygen” (The Cleveland Clinic, 2005-2013). It also can improve one’s heart rate and blood pressure, which are big factors in preventing heart disease. One simple exercise that involves increasing heart rate is jumping jacks. To do this exercise one first starts with his or her legs together and arms down at the sides. Then push off both feet with the feet out wide into a squat position while raising the arms above the head. By repeating this simple stretch for 30 seconds to a minute, will get the blood flowing to prevent brain illnesses (Moody, 2013).
Equally important to the heart and brain are muscles which need exercising as well. “Increasing lean mass is important because it reduces your body fat and increases your metabolic rate” (K. State Edu). The less body fat the healthier one is. Too much body fat can lead to being overweight, diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity. “Muscle also burns more energy when a person's at rest than fat does, so building your muscles will help you burn more calories and maintain a healthy weight” (Numors Foundation, n.d.). When a person has more muscle it is harder for fat to stick around but to maintain muscle, one has to be continuous in his or her workout. “Muscle strength declines as people age, but studies report that when people exercise they are stronger and leaner than others in their age group” (A.D.A.M, 2012). Having muscle strength is also very important because the older people get, the more capable they are of gaining fat weight. Exercising the muscles does not only make a person physically strong, but it does make the body look toned and healthier. By taking care of our muscles, we will become more fit and lean.
To take care of the muscles, a person can do several exercises. According to Real Simple magazine, psychologist Liz Neporent suggests seven exercises that stretch the major muscles of the body. Out of those seven are a few simple day to day stretches most can manage (Solo, n.d.). First, there are squats. This exercise stretches the buttocks and thighs. First, start by spreading the feet hip-width apart and sucking in the stomach. Then sit as if in a chair. Lastly, straighten the legs and stand back up (Solo, n.d.). Do these exercise 50-100 times a day. Next are push-ups, which work the chest, abdominals, shoulders, and arms. Begin this exercise by lying chest down and placing both palms on the floor. Next, straighten the arms and lift the body so that the entire body is balanced by the palms. Lastly, bend the elbows and lower the entire body and push back up (Solo, n.d.). Do these exercise 25 to 100 times a day.
Another exercise that one should add to his or her daily routine day is curls. This exercise focuses extremely on the biceps. To do curls one will need weights called dumbbells, short metal bars with weight at the end of them. To start this exercise, hold a dumbbell in each hand standing hip-width apart. Then curl the arms up while twisting the palm so that it faces the front of your shoulder and slowly lower the dumbbell back down (Solo, n.d.). This exercise should be done 2-3 sets of 10 reps every other day. Lastly, a beneficial exercise is planking. This exercise helps with the abdominals, shoulders, chest, lower back, buttocks, and thighs. To perform this exercise lay on the floor with the hands in front of you. Next, pull up to balance your arms and toes while sucking in your stomach. This exercise should be held for 10 seconds and done in at least 3 sets. These four simple exercises help put the muscles to work in the best way possible.
Additionally, exercise can do as much for your mind as it can for the body. It can help increase a person’s capacity for learning. “Exercise can have positive effects on academic achievement by reducing anxiety and stress, increasing concentration and building confidence” (Smillie, 2005). This is very important, especially for adolescents and prime adults because those are the years that a person learns the most. Exercise prevents stress by “depleting stress hormones and releases mood-enhancing chemicals which help us cope with stress better” (Stress Management Society, n.d.). Endorphins, which are known as happy hormones are depleted when doing any type of physical activity. “The increase in endorphins in your body leads to a feeling of euphoria, modulation of appetite, the release of different sex hormones and an enhancement of immune response. This helps combat the negative effects of stress” (Stress Management Society, n.d.). Along with endorphins, neurohormones such as norepinephrine, “are associated with improved cognitive function, elevated mood and learning” (Melnick, 2013). This neurotransmitter can benefit stressful thoughts. Also, exercise is an activity that involves one staying focused, and the more focused one is one what he or she is doing the less likely the person will think about the things that were on the mind that might cause stress.
Exercise also increases self-esteem. Self-esteem is one of the largest psychological problems in the world. Exercise helps a person feel better physically which causes the person to feel better mentally. It also makes one to feel stronger. Knowing that one has physical strength brings mental strength and makes the person feel as though he or she can do anything. As mentioned before, exercise helps reduce stress, which promotes self-confidence. Another benefit of exercise is that it improves mental function. It allows one to focus and feel more alert after having completed a work out session.
No one is too old or too young to exercise. Everyone is capable of eating healthy and exercising. Although having a healthy eating diet is important, one must get physical activity in his or diet as well. Exercising, which keeps the heart rate up, circulates more blood. It also arouses the brain and makes a person feel more alert. Without physical activity our food will produce more fat instead of muscle. Lastly, exercise can help a person to focus and help ease a stressed mind. To conclude, exercise is the key to living a strong, long, and healthy life. Whether it is running or simply going for a walk, every little physical activity one does counts.
Exercise is a major activity that one should include in his or her everyday life. We know that physical activity can help maintain a healthy body weight, but there are more advantages. For example, without exercise, our body is in higher risk of many diseases such as heart attacks, heart disease, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, stroke, obesity, and diabetes (Fitnesstips101, 2012). Along with helping to prevent these more strenuous diseases, exercise also helps the immune system, which can prevent smaller illnesses (Fitnesstips101, 2012). It also advances the mind in terms of learning and mood. Exercise is very much capable of turning a bad day into a great one. To include physical activity in one’s daily routine can begin by simply going for a walk, jog, or run. Also, riding a bike to work instead of driving, swimming, playing sports, and dancing are excellent fun ways to incorporate exercise. If a person does one or more of these activities for at least 30 minutes throughout the day, he or she will begin to see a huge change (Fitnesstips101, 2012). However, one must remember exercise is all about consistency, so one must keep up the hard work to make progress.
The heart is the most important organ in the body and we cannot live without it. We all should do our utmost to take care of our heart, and exercising is one way to assure that. “Exercise helps keep your arteries flexible and malleable, which prevents heart disease and heart attacks” (Hospital, 2008). Heart disease and heart attacks are two of the most common causes of death and exercising regularly can reduce this fact. According to NY Times Magazine, “People who maintain an active lifestyle have a 45% lower risk of developing heart disease” (A.D.A.M, 2012). Being active makes that big of a difference in one’s life. Exercising also strengthens the heart and cardiovascular system by increasing the heart rate which allows more oxygen to circulate at a faster pace. The stronger the heart, the more blood can pump through the body (Klein, 2013). No one should want to experience the failure of his or her heart when it is preventable.
In addition to the heart being the most important organ of the body, the brain is mutually important. When exercising, we increase our blood flow which stirs up our brain cells and allows them to function at a higher level. This causes the person to feel more alert and awake (Klein, 2013). The feeling of being more alert and awake can create a good mood for a person. Exercising also can protect the brain from diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and stroke. This is possibly due to the brain getting use to this frequent surge of blood when one works out regularly and adapts by turning certain genes on or off (Klein, 2013). Exercise is a continuous fighter of illnesses.
Also, there are three main parts of the brain that exercising benefits the most, the hippocampus, the hypothalamus, and the pituitary glands. First, the hippocampus is the part of the brain that deals with learning, memory, and making new brain cells. To make new brain cells need extra oxygen already, and exercising can help with that. Next, the hypothalamus involves body temperature and the balance of salt and water. Exercising heats the body which alerts the skin to produce sweat to keep the body cool. Lastly, the pituitary glands alert the adrenal glands to pump out hormones necessary for movement and release growth hormones. When exercising, this part of the brain tells the body to burn fat for energy instead of muscle (Klein, 2013). Along with reading and sleeping, exercising is one of the best things one can do to power up the brain.
There are many exercises people can do to maintain a healthy heart and brain. For instance, aerobic exercises such as swimming, biking, dancing, walking, jogging, jumping rope, cross-country skiing, skating, rowing, and low-impact aerobics or water aerobics help to get the heart pumping. Aerobic exercise has the most benefit by strengthening the heart and lungs which “improves the body’s ability to use oxygen” (The Cleveland Clinic, 2005-2013). It also can improve one’s heart rate and blood pressure, which are big factors in preventing heart disease. One simple exercise that involves increasing heart rate is jumping jacks. To do this exercise one first starts with his or her legs together and arms down at the sides. Then push off both feet with the feet out wide into a squat position while raising the arms above the head. By repeating this simple stretch for 30 seconds to a minute, will get the blood flowing to prevent brain illnesses (Moody, 2013).
Equally important to the heart and brain are muscles which need exercising as well. “Increasing lean mass is important because it reduces your body fat and increases your metabolic rate” (K. State Edu). The less body fat the healthier one is. Too much body fat can lead to being overweight, diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity. “Muscle also burns more energy when a person's at rest than fat does, so building your muscles will help you burn more calories and maintain a healthy weight” (Numors Foundation, n.d.). When a person has more muscle it is harder for fat to stick around but to maintain muscle, one has to be continuous in his or her workout. “Muscle strength declines as people age, but studies report that when people exercise they are stronger and leaner than others in their age group” (A.D.A.M, 2012). Having muscle strength is also very important because the older people get, the more capable they are of gaining fat weight. Exercising the muscles does not only make a person physically strong, but it does make the body look toned and healthier. By taking care of our muscles, we will become more fit and lean.
To take care of the muscles, a person can do several exercises. According to Real Simple magazine, psychologist Liz Neporent suggests seven exercises that stretch the major muscles of the body. Out of those seven are a few simple day to day stretches most can manage (Solo, n.d.). First, there are squats. This exercise stretches the buttocks and thighs. First, start by spreading the feet hip-width apart and sucking in the stomach. Then sit as if in a chair. Lastly, straighten the legs and stand back up (Solo, n.d.). Do these exercise 50-100 times a day. Next are push-ups, which work the chest, abdominals, shoulders, and arms. Begin this exercise by lying chest down and placing both palms on the floor. Next, straighten the arms and lift the body so that the entire body is balanced by the palms. Lastly, bend the elbows and lower the entire body and push back up (Solo, n.d.). Do these exercise 25 to 100 times a day.
Another exercise that one should add to his or her daily routine day is curls. This exercise focuses extremely on the biceps. To do curls one will need weights called dumbbells, short metal bars with weight at the end of them. To start this exercise, hold a dumbbell in each hand standing hip-width apart. Then curl the arms up while twisting the palm so that it faces the front of your shoulder and slowly lower the dumbbell back down (Solo, n.d.). This exercise should be done 2-3 sets of 10 reps every other day. Lastly, a beneficial exercise is planking. This exercise helps with the abdominals, shoulders, chest, lower back, buttocks, and thighs. To perform this exercise lay on the floor with the hands in front of you. Next, pull up to balance your arms and toes while sucking in your stomach. This exercise should be held for 10 seconds and done in at least 3 sets. These four simple exercises help put the muscles to work in the best way possible.
Additionally, exercise can do as much for your mind as it can for the body. It can help increase a person’s capacity for learning. “Exercise can have positive effects on academic achievement by reducing anxiety and stress, increasing concentration and building confidence” (Smillie, 2005). This is very important, especially for adolescents and prime adults because those are the years that a person learns the most. Exercise prevents stress by “depleting stress hormones and releases mood-enhancing chemicals which help us cope with stress better” (Stress Management Society, n.d.). Endorphins, which are known as happy hormones are depleted when doing any type of physical activity. “The increase in endorphins in your body leads to a feeling of euphoria, modulation of appetite, the release of different sex hormones and an enhancement of immune response. This helps combat the negative effects of stress” (Stress Management Society, n.d.). Along with endorphins, neurohormones such as norepinephrine, “are associated with improved cognitive function, elevated mood and learning” (Melnick, 2013). This neurotransmitter can benefit stressful thoughts. Also, exercise is an activity that involves one staying focused, and the more focused one is one what he or she is doing the less likely the person will think about the things that were on the mind that might cause stress.
Exercise also increases self-esteem. Self-esteem is one of the largest psychological problems in the world. Exercise helps a person feel better physically which causes the person to feel better mentally. It also makes one to feel stronger. Knowing that one has physical strength brings mental strength and makes the person feel as though he or she can do anything. As mentioned before, exercise helps reduce stress, which promotes self-confidence. Another benefit of exercise is that it improves mental function. It allows one to focus and feel more alert after having completed a work out session.
No one is too old or too young to exercise. Everyone is capable of eating healthy and exercising. Although having a healthy eating diet is important, one must get physical activity in his or diet as well. Exercising, which keeps the heart rate up, circulates more blood. It also arouses the brain and makes a person feel more alert. Without physical activity our food will produce more fat instead of muscle. Lastly, exercise can help a person to focus and help ease a stressed mind. To conclude, exercise is the key to living a strong, long, and healthy life. Whether it is running or simply going for a walk, every little physical activity one does counts.