There’s no magic pill to help you shed excess weight, ease stress, stay healthy and enhance your brainpower all at the same time. But did you know exercise can help you achieve all these without costing a dime? You don’t even need to workout in gyms like Koko Fit Club (although it IS much better if you have gym membership!) Here are the many benefits of exercise you should know about:
Exercise Burns Calories
You need exercise to maintain or achieve a healthy weight. To lose weight, you need to increase physical activity (or reduce your calorie intake) so that you achieve a calorie deficit. If you want to maintain your weight, then spend at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week. If you want to lose weight, you have to engage in more physical activity including cardio and strength training. It also helps to limit the amount of calories you consume.
Exercise Eases Stress
Exercise has long been believed to ward off anxiety and depression. It’s also now considered a good way to relieve stress since it can reduce the amount of adrenaline and cortisol in our system.
Exercise Enhances Brainpower
Studies have shown exercise can enhance brainpower, specifically it improves our ability to concentrate and remember details. It’s been found to boost the levels of serotonin in the brain, this is a neurotransmitter responsible for clarity and focus.
Exercise Increases Energy
Even exercising for 20 to 30 minutes a day leads to less fatigue and increased overall energy. This happens because physical activity / movement increases blood flow, which in turn allows nutrients and much needed oxygen to reach the cells.
Exercise Prevents Diseases
Exercise can slow down or event prevent a number of diseases and health issues such as:
- Stroke
- Heart disease
- Type 2 Diabetes
- Osteoporosis
- Arthritis
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
Exercise Keeps Your Heart Healthy
Exercise strengthens the heart and the entire cardiovascular system. It can lower blood pressure, reduce inflammation and help you maintain a healthy body weight, all of which are essential for optimum heart health. More than this, exercise also improves the ability of your muscle cells to pull oxygen from the blood so your heart won’t work as hard. It acts like a beta blocker as it can lower the heart rate and consequently, lower blood pressure over time.
Exercise Builds Relationships
Exercising improves and builds relationships since you can spend more time with your partner or friends at the gym or even during your weekend jogs.
Exercise Allows You to Eat Foods You Like
When you exercise regularly, you don’t have to deprive yourself of your favorite foods since you can burn the extra calories anyway. As long as you eat your favorite meals or snacks in moderation, you should be ok.
Exercise Boosts Performance
If you’re an athlete, exercising regularly will make your body stronger, flexible and efficient which means your athletic performance will also greatly improve.
It’s not that hard to find time to exercise. You can do it at home, in the office, outdoors or in the gym. Even 10 minutes of jumping jacks twice a day is great for your health. So no matter how busy you are, you can always spend a bit of your time each day to have some form of physical activity.
Here’s an easy exercise to boost heart health: