13 health and fitness benefits of physical activity

Research shows that physical activity can also boost self-esteem, mood, sleep quality and energy, as well as reducing your risk of stress, clinical depression, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Being physically active can improve your brain health, help manage weight, reduce the risk of disease, strengthen bones and muscles, and improve your ability to do everyday activities. Adults who sit less and do any amount of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity gain some health benefits.

1. Help you control your weight. Along with diet, exercise plays an important role in controlling your weight and preventing obesity. To maintain your weight, the calories you eat and drink must equal the energy you burn. To lose weight, you must use more calories than you eat and drink. Physical exercise, coupled with proper nutrition, is the best way to lose weight. If you are borderline overweight, overweight, or obese, you must start exercising.
2. Support your eye health: Cardio exercises increases blood flow to the optic nerve and the retina also aerobic exercise helps lower intraocular pressure. Many research studies conducted has proven that regular exercise may reduce damage to the eyes and increase your eye health.
3. Reduce Stress: Stress not only hampers your sleep at night but also impairs your immune functions. Stress also leads to excess accumulation of harmful oxygen radicals in the body, which, in turn, leads to other diseases. Physical activity is highly beneficial in reducing stress. Read our article on the negative effects of stress on the body
4. Strengthen your bones: Regular exercise has been proven to strengthen your bones making them more dense and reducing bone loss. A healthy diet along with adequate Vitamin D and Calcium is also essential for healthy bones.
5. Effective treatment for Depression and Anxiety: Depression and anxiety are serious mental health issues, and you should not ignore them. Apart from taking medical advice, you must start exercising. Exercise helps release serotonin, the “feel good” hormone that helps uplift your mood.
6. Reduce your risk of heart diseases. Exercise strengthens your heart and improves your circulation. The increased blood flow raises the oxygen levels in your body. This helps lower your risk of heart diseases such as high cholesterol, coronary artery disease, and heart attack. Regular exercise can also lower your blood pressure and triglyceride levels. According to the American Heart Association, by 2030, the prevalence of cardiovascular diseases is going to increase by 9.9%. But scientists from around the globe agree that the mortality rate due to CVD can be reduced by regular exercising.
7. Boost your confidence: exercising or being physically active improves your confidence, self-esteem, and self-worth. It stimulates positive energy in your body and has amazing physical and mental health benefits.
8. Help your body manage blood sugar and insulin levels. Exercise can lower your blood sugar level and help your insulin work better. This can cut down your risk for metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. And if you already have one of those diseases, exercise can help you to manage it.
9. Strengthen your bones and muscles. Regular exercise can help kids and teens build strong bones. Later in life, it can also slow the loss of bone density that comes with age. Doing muscle-strengthening activities can help you increase or maintain your muscle mass and strength.
10. Lowers High Blood Pressure: High blood pressure can lead to heart attack, stroke, and even death. And it is mainly caused due to bad eating habits, a sedentary lifestyle, and/or inherited genes. If you suffer from high blood pressure, consider adding some light to moderate activity or exercises to help moderate your blood pressure levels. Discover 10 ways to lower your blood pressure naturally without medication by Mayo Clinic.
11. Enhances Sleeping: Exercising sure has some good effects on sleep. It is the best day-time activity that induces good quality sleep. When you sleep, your muscles, bones, and brain get rejuvenated, which allows you to make better decisions the next day.
12. Early death: Exercise and the increase of lean muscle mass helps protect the body from damages and illness, while lowering the risks of premature death. Also if done in the gym, provides a social environment for a happier and healthier life.
13. Falls (among older adults) : Things do happen in life, we slip and fall at times but regular exercise can lessen the impact damaging yourself when falling. Exercise builds stronger bones and muscles