Fitness is a great way to stay healthy. Exercising on a regular basis has countless benefits for the body and the mind. A study done on 25,000 volunteers has shown that physical exercising is more important to the health than losing weight. Overweight people who are fit have lower chances of developing heart problems, diabetes or osteoporosis. Who can practice fitness? Is fitness for you? The good news is that anybody, regardless of age, can benefit from fitness. Fitness exercises range from developing flexibility, to building up strength and losing extra pounds.
Short-term benefits of fitness:
• A healthier heart – Fitness makes the heart pump faster and it helps develop and strengthen the muscle of the heart.
• Stronger muscles and bones – Fitness exercises that work the muscles, such as weight lifting, develop the muscles and increase bone density. This translates into a body that is more resistant to fractures and injuries. People over 40, who have higher risks of developing osteoporosis and arthritis, can maintain a younger body for a longer time through fitness.
• Losing weight – Fitness burns calories and reduces body fat. If you exercise on a regular basis, the body will not only burn calories while you’re at the gym, but it will also burn calories while you’re resting. If you combine fitness with a healthy diet, you will have a fit and great looking body.
• Reducing stress – You have countless stress factors in your life, and stress is very dangerous to your health and it can give you a general state of crankiness and anxiety. Exercising relieves stress and triggers the secretion of endorphins in the body. Endorphins, also called “the happiness hormone” create a state of relaxation. There is something called “a runner’s high”. This basically means that people feel happier after exercising.
• A more restful sleep – Stress and health problems sometime cause insomnia and other sleep disturbances. Fitness will give you a deep and restful sleep, which is important for the body to be able to recover and function normally.
• Increased ability to focus – Research shows that people who exercise think faster and clearer. Fitness does not only do wonders for the body, but it also benefits the mind, through improving circulation in the brain and taking away the stress that sometimes clouds our judgment.
Long-term benefits of fitness:
• Reduced blood pressure – High blood pressure can lead to strokes and heart attacks. Heart problems are the leading cause of death in the world. Fitness means a stronger heart, which pumps blood more efficiently through the body and the the force put on the arteries decreases. Regular exercising is one of the drug-free methods to treat hypertension.
• Reduced coronary problems – People living a sedentary life have twice as many chances of developing coronary problems that those who exercise.
• Reduced cholesterol levels – People with high cholesterol levels have higher chances of developing cardiovascular problems. Fitness helps reduce cholesterol levels by burning the fat in the body. Studies show that people with high cholesterol levels who make exercising part of their daily routine cut their chances of developing heart problems in half.
• Improved posture – Fitness helps maintain a strong backbone with a healthy posture. It helps with back problems and back pain, that are often associated with a sedentary life.
• Reduced risk of developing diabetes – Physical activity lowers the risk of developing type 2 diabetes through the effect it has on insulin levels, through lowering the level of sugar in the body and though maintaining a fit body.
People are starting to understand more and more the importance of including physical activity in their daily routine. If you want to have the fitness routine tailored for you, fitness companies offer personal training. You can regularly go to the gym or you can go to a fitness boot camp, to push yourself harder and really work your body. You can practice fitness alone, with your friends or co-workers. There are a lot of corporate entities that work with fitness companies to allow their employees to exercise at the work place, because fitness increases work productivity. Make sure you exercise for 30 minutes at least two or three times as week, or even daily if possible, to get all the wonderful benefits of fitness.
