8 Benefits of regular physical activity

Regular physical activity is one of the best ways to improve your health. When we think of physical activity, we sometimes think of people who live a life dedicated to exercise and athletic achievement e.g. bodybuilders and marathon runners. While these people do some amazing things, you do not have to go to such lengths to experience the benefits of regular physical activity. If you are not physically active; adding just a few minutes of physical activity each day will result in some amazing benefits. Naturally as you make regular physical activity a part of your life, and gradually increase the amount you do; the quantity and quality of the benefits you experience will improve.  Some of the benefits you can reap from getting physical are:

• Controlling/losing weight
• Improving your cardiovascular system
• Decrease the risk for Type 2 diabetes
• Reduce the risk for some cancers
• Strengthen bones and muscles
• Improve mental health and mood
• Increased productivity
• Increase your chances of living a high quality life, for longer

Note: before starting any exercise program, be sure to consult with your doctor first. You have to know if you are healthy enough to engage in regular physical exercise before starting any program.

Benefits of regular physical activity

The benefits of regular physical activity are too many and varied to list all of them here. What follows are some of the key benefits that you will experience when you make exercise a regular part of your life.

1. Controlling/losing weight

My friend Kieran Dolan of Dolan Fitness always compares weight management to accounting. It is a matter of balancing what comes in what and what goes out. Rather than managing money, you are managing calories. You gain weight when you eat more calories than you burn and you lose weight when you burn more calories than you eat. So it stands to reason that if you want to lose weight, you need to adjust your calorie balance so that your calories burned outweigh your calories consumed. You can approach this in a number of ways:

• Increase the number of calories that you burn
• Decrease the number of calories that you consume
• A combination of both of the above

The healthiest approach is usually to combine both a reduction in calorie consumption and an increase in calorie usage. When you adopt this approach, a small increase in your regular physical activity can yield great results.

For example, if we know that you have to burn 3,500 more calories per week than you eat to lose a pound, it may sound daunting. It becomes more manageable when you break it down into 500 calories per day. Eat 250 calories less and burn 250 calories more each day and you’ll lose one pound in one week.  To burn 250 calories extra per day requires you to burn just over 10 extra calories per hour. Now that does not sound too difficult.

2. Improving your cardiovascular system

Heart disease and stroke are leading causes of death all around the world. Regular physical activity has been shown to improve the functionality of your heart and lungs.  In Ireland, it is recommended that we get at least 30 minutes of moderately–intensive exercise per week to significantly lower the risk for both diseases. While the recommendation may differ slightly from country to country, they are pretty similar. Within reason, increasing your exercise reduces your risk.

Just a 30 minute walk each day greatly reduces your chances of cardiovascular problems, thus increasing your quality and quantity of life. That’s a significant reward for a very small effort.

3. Decrease the Risk for Type 2 Diabetes

The same 30 minutes per day of exercise will also lower your risk for Type 2 diabetes. If you are carrying too much weight, have low HDL cholesterol or high blood pressure, triglycerides or blood sugar, you are at a greater risk. Regular physical activity will help bring these stats back where they belong.

4. Reduce the risk for some cancers

Research has shown that being physically active reduces the risk of colon cancer in both male and females and the risk of breast cancer in women. Some findings are now suggesting that regular physical activity may also reduce your risk of endometrial and lung cancer. And if you are a cancer survivor, or a survivor of any other serious illness, exercising can help improve your quality of life.

5. Strengthen bones and muscles

As we age, we begin to lose bone density, which can cause osteoporosis.  Simple falls  can easily end up with broken bones. Every year we hear stories of elderly people who are badly injured from what appear to pretty innocuous falls.

Aerobic and muscle strengthening exercises helps keep your bones and muscles strong and slows the loss of bone density. Not only will you be able to take on more challenges as you get older but you will be stronger and more resilient to injury and illness.

6. Improve mental health and mood

Regular physical activity will help you to maintain mental alertness and sharpness. Your brain will function better.  Exercise can also help prevent depression. When we exercise, endorphins are released in the brain making us feel good. Emotion comes from motion so, if you want to experience more energy and positivity; get moving.

Research has shown that 30 to 60 minutes of aerobic exercise and strength training per day 3 to 5 times per week are optimal for maximum mental acuity benefits. However, even a little exercise provides some benefits. So, even if you cannot manage that much at the moment, you can gradually increase the amount of physical exercise you are doing. As you increase the exercise, you will feel happier and more confident. As a result, you will be more motivated to find the time for additional exercise.

7. Increased productivity

It is one of the paradoxes of life that increased physical activity actually increases your energy levels. You might think that regular physical activity will rob you of energy but you would be wrong. As you become more physically active, you become physically, mentally and emotionally fitter and stronger. This allows you to take on bigger challenges and complete them more effectively.

Make the things you do every day,whether they are physical or mental activities,  easier by getting in shape.

For more great productivity tips, check out The Organised Mind.

8. Increase your chance of living longer

Research has shown that people who are physically active 7 hours per week reduce their risk of dying early from heart disease or cancer by 40 percent. Remember those 30 minutes of exercising per day? That counts toward your 7 hours per week of physical activity.  You shouldn’t find it too difficult to squeeze the extra physical activity in.

Of course, regular physical activity is not all about how long you live. Our time on Earth is not guaranteed but you can take action to ensure that the time you do have is of the highest quality. That starts with looking after your health and regular physical activity is just one critical aspect of that.

To learn more about how you can benefit from regular physical activity, check out Limitless Energy.

These 8 benefits of regular physical activity are only the beginning. Life is not just meant to be lived, it is meant to be lived well. If you want to live your best life, you need to have the health, the energy and the enthusiasm to be able to do that. When you make physical activity a regular part of your life, you will begin to experience improved health, energy and enthusiasm. Each and every area of your life will be impacted. You may think that regular physical activity will not improve your work life but you will experience less stress, increased productivity and greater confidence. Not only will you benefit from regular physical activity but your family, friends, colleagues and, all who you interact with, will benefit from the new, improved you.