The goal of this article
is answer the question "why
do we exercise?"
Now, I know what you're all
thinking: we exercise to lose
fat so we can look good! To
be honest, that's the reason
why most of us exercise, and
there's nothing wrong with
that!
But did you know that exercise
gives us some much more substantial
benefits than just looking
good? It's true! If you're
working out just to look good,
then consider these other
benefits just a bonus!
Regular exercise has been
proven to: 1) Fight Obesity:
Obesity is linked to heart
disease, high blood pressure,
cancer and diabetes.
2) Improve Physical Performance:
Resistance training will increase
muscle size, strength and
endurance. This, in turn,
will help with improvements
in work, sports, hobbies,
and day-to-day activities.
3) Prevent Muscle Loss: Unless
you strength train regularly,
you will lose about 1 pound
of muscle every year of your
life after age 25. Resistance
training prevents the muscle
loss that normally accompanies
the aging process. Resistance
training can even reverse
some muscle loss!
4) Increase Metabolism: The
muscle loss we all experience
each year (after age 25) creates
a 1.5% reduction in basal
metabolic rate (BMR) every
year. A reduction in BMR means
that your body is less able
to use the food you consume
as energy.....thus more gets
stored as fat. Resistance
training will slow, or even
reverse, that muscle loss
- which will increase the
BMR.
5) Decrease The Risk Of Injury:
Not only will consistent exercise
improve balance and stability,
but regular resistance exercise
will do even more to reduce
the risk of injury! Muscles
function as shock-absorbers
and serve as important balancing
agents throughout the body.
Well-balanced muscles reduce
the risk of injuries that
result when a muscle is weaker
than its opposing muscle group.
6) Improve Blood Pressure:
According to the World Health
Organization, high blood pressure
may contribute up to 50% of
cases of cardiovascular disease
which kills more than 12 million
worldwide people each year.
Regular exercise lowers blood
pressure for most people.
7) Help Heart Disease: By
helping to keep the arteries
free and clear of obstructions,
exercise helps to prevent
heart disease. Regular aerobic
exercise also lowers the Resting
Heart Rate (RHR), a key indicator
of heart health.
8) Help Prevent Cancer: Evidence
suggests that 1/3 of the 550,000
cancer deaths that occur in
the United States each year
are due to unhealthy diet
and insufficient physical
activity. Regular exercise
has been proven to reduce
the risk of breast cancer
and colon cancer.
9) Help Prevent Diabetes:
The American Public Health
Association has announced
that being physically fit
may help prevent the development
of diabetes in healthy women.
10) Help Prevent Estrogen
Loss: Regular exercise can
prevent or lessen the impact
of many of the changes women
experience during menopause
(particularly bone loss/bone
weakening). There is some
evidence that symptoms often
associated with the hormonal
changes of menopause, such
as hot flashes, insomnia and
depression can also be alleviated
by exercise.
Well, there you have it.....ten
reasons why regular exercise
will help you add years to
your life.....and you thought
that exercise just helped
you look good in a swimsuit!!
About the author:
Tracie Johanson is the founder
of Pick Up The Pace, a 30-minute
exercise studio for women
focusing on fitness, health
and nutrition for maximum
weight loss. Please visit
http://www.letspickupthepace.com/
for more information.
Resources - Link Exchange
