The rising obesity rate has been ringing alarm bells for quite some time. The young generation is particularly prone to face this issue due to the high consumption of junk food. According to a widely cited study, as many as nearly 50 percent of the American adults will be overweight by 2030. However, many national and international stakeholders are educating the masses about the severe consequences of obesity. It is one reason why the trend of physical exercise is steadily gaining the ground. Fitness experts hold that the gym culture has witnessed exponential growth lately. Racks can be one of the most important pieces of fitness equipment. Check out the best power rack for the money.
But, as mistakenly assumed, exercise is not only for obese people. It can offer multiple benefits to those who are not even remotely overweight. Regardless of age, gender, and physical condition, a decent workout session can help you achieve the following objectives:
1. Exercise keeps type 2 diabetes in check
Around 60 percent of type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients do not exercise regularly according to reports. If you fall into this category, it is about the time to step up for some physical activity. Because working out is very effective at controlling blood sugar levels. Exercise also aids to ward off a variety of cardiovascular conditions. Remember, myocardial infarction, stroke, and other cardiovascular diseases can put T2D patients at risk of death.
After developing T2D, a particular set of exercises prove to be more appropriate for your body. We are listing them in the following section. But be sure to start slow and then gradually increase the intensity. More so, if you lack any physical training for a long while, try these:
- Brisk walk: There is a plethora of scientific evidence indicating that a brisk walk is better than jogging or running to maintain blood sugar levels. Health experts recommend one should walk for at least five days a week to get any worthwhile results. Anyone with an online exercise science bachelor’s degree would also recommend you be very stringent about exercise. They can also offer expert advice since they possess the knowledge of the science behind exercising.
- Cycling: Do you know that a whopping 50 percent of the T2D patients undergo arthritis? That is where cycling comes handy. It rejuvenates your legs with endurance and strength without overpowering the joints with undue strain. The constant motion will eventually take arthritis out of the system.
- Yoga: Be it controlling sugar levels, cholesterol level, or weight, yoga does it all. Unlike the past, you don’t even require a membership to attend yoga classes. Just tune into YouTube, and you will have tons of videos at your disposal.
2. Leads to better sleep
Typically, our sleep’s quality and duration depend on several outside factors such as neighbors, temperature, light, and so on. If everything is perfectly aligned, you might get a sound good night’s sleep. But we know that sometimes all it takes is an annoying traffic noise to wreak havoc to our slumber. People living in the heart of a metropolitan city are quite susceptible to face this issue. Guess what, exercise prevents you from waking up in the face of such minor disruptions.
Health professionals state that human body temperature goes up during the workout and then comes back to normal just when we are about to sleep. The phenomenon ends up improving the sleep.
It is pertinent to mention that the timing of the exercise could be critical here. Morning and afternoon are optimal times to experience the best sleep. On the other hand, exercising in the evening might not help because the body temperature would barely change when you hit the bed.
3. It can improve your mood.
As human beings, we experience a rough patch at some point in our life. There could be various personal and professional causes that might make a person’s life all the more miserable. Divorce, increasing debt, losing a loved one, and long working hours are some contributors. It is when stress usually creeps in, and, unfortunately, most people are not well-versed to combat it.
Again, exercise can save the day for you. Hitting the gym boosts the production of endorphins in abundance, which downplay the feeling of pain. Let’s look at the other aspects of how exercise works as a natural mood lifter:
- Exercise helps you to attain an unwavering attention span.
- A flawed immune system emits chemicals that multiply your stress. Exercise reduces these chemicals to a significant degree.
- Exercise takes your self-esteem to the next level by keeping you in shape. Good appearance is directly interconnected to your happiness, notes a report.
4. Promotes longevity
Once you include exercise into your routine, you will be well on your way to add some years in your lifespan. It also helps slow down cells’ aging process as, generally, a cell is divided from 50 -70 times at maximum. After that, it steps into a senescence period when the division is no longer possible. Hence, the cell either dies or occupies the body only for the sake of it.
Exercise plays a pivotal role in ensuring better health of cells. Resultantly, the cell cycle lasts longer than it would otherwise.
5. Improves brain functionality
Be it a politician or entrepreneur, a vast majority of the successful decision-makers make it a point to spend some time to exercise. Because they understand the wisdom behind the age-old maxim, “healthy brain exists in a healthy body.”
Exercise encompasses the brain with robust oxygen levels and blood flow. It triggers a vigorous cell generation process in the hippocampus – the part of the brain associated with learning and memory. And, in turn, not only your cognitive skills take-off but you manage to keep Alzheimer’s at a safe distance.
The takeaway message
Exercise has been existing among humans since the time immemorial. Over time, new methods have been introduced, and fitness freaks exploit them quickly to achieve fitness goals. But the old school techniques are equally prevalent. You do not need to be all that acrobatic to access those mentioned above for physical and mental health benefits.
