4 Unexpected (But Awesome) Benefits of Regular Exercise

For some, exercise is an enjoyable hobby that keeps you fit and allows you to de-stress and unwind after a hard day; while to some, exercise is a cruel and unusual punishment for eating that extra burger at the neighbour’s barbeque.

Exercise

Well for those of you who were not ‘born to run’ maybe a few nudges in the right direction will help you to conquer those demons and get yourself on the road to a fitter you. So, as an alternative to the usual mundane spiel that exercise will make you fitter and reduce your risk of heart disease and diabetes (although this is technically true) I have compiled a list of reasons that may get your body moving and your heart racing before you know it.

Reduces Your Anxiety Levels

As a person with very high levels of anxiety for many different reasons, this initially looks like a bit of a catch 22. Exercise will reduce my anxiety levels, but I am too anxious to exercise. You may worry that you will just keel over after your first 100 metres on the treadmill or end-up the talk of the town when your gossiping neighbour sees you in your spandex gym shorts; whatever your anxiety, all that I ask is that you just give it a go. Take it slowly, wear baggy clothes and relax. This is definitely not the time to throw yourself in at the deep end; just see how you feel after a little paddle. I can almost guarantee you that you will feel better afterwards.

Slows Down Cognitive Decline

It happens to the best of us; as we get older our brain – much like the rest of our body – slows down. Exercise and a healthy diet can slow down this decline and studies have shown that although they are not a cure, a healthy diet and regular exercise between the ages of 25 and 45 can help to protect your brain against degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, or at the very least slow down their damage.

Helps to Control Your Addictions

When our body feels pleasure, from anything, whether that is alcohol, food or sex, our brains release a drug called dopamine which responds to this feeling of pleasure, and this is what we become addicted to. Exercise can help us to distract ourselves from those cravings and start to become healthier in the process – double whammy.

Increases Your Energy Levels

This may be slightly more obvious – but true none the less. A researcher recently compiled a list of studies comparing the energy levels of those with a sedentary life to the same individuals after exercise and found that over 90% of those studies showed that those individuals benefited from exercise and had higher energy levels. However, not everyone believes everything they read, so I challenge you to discover the truth for yourself.

Don’t Forget to Eat Well

I know, this isn’t an ‘unexpected benefit of exercise’, but it can increase the level of those benefits – so I’m adding it! You need to eat well; and this means getting plenty of nutrients and filling foods without the bad bits. Many top class exercisers swear by adding egg whites as part of an exercise and nutrition plan, which would make sense as protein helps repair muscle and acts as a lower calorie source of energy; and some will tell you that you should eat a meal that is mostly carbs before exercising. Nutrition is a huge subject and differs depending on the exercise you do.

So make sure you have all the information you need before exercising, and find out if these unexpected benefits can benefit you.

4 Unexpected (But Awesome) Benefits of Regular Exercise 2017-01-23T19:02:00-08:00 Rating: 4.5 Diposkan Oleh: edumaximal