Active Lifestyle Benefits: Start A New Adventure Today!
Dec 16
An active lifestyle means you do physical activity throughout the day. Any activity that gets you up and moving is part of an active lifestyle. Physical activity includes exercise such as walking or lifting weights. It also includes playing sports. Physical activity differs from other kinds of movement, such as reading a book. This kind of activity is called sedentary. A sedentary lifestyle means sitting or not moving much during the day. An active lifestyle has many benefits, such as helping you prevent or manage health conditions.
Physical Health Benefits
The physical health benefits of staying active are well-documented and numerous. For example, regular exercise helps to strengthen your heart and lungs, lowers blood pressure, reduces your risk of developing diabetes and other chronic conditions, improves mobility and flexibility, and makes you look and feel fitter. Exercise also stimulates endorphins—the natural “happy hormone”—which can help you maintain a positive mood throughout the day.
Mental Health Benefits
Exercise also has incredible mental health benefits! Exercise can reduce stress levels while increasing serotonin levels—the neurotransmitter responsible for feelings of happiness and calmness—in the brain. It can also reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression by improving self-confidence in those with low self-esteem or self-image issues. Working out regularly can also increase focus and productivity at work or school and improve your overall cognitive performance.
Social Benefits
Staying active doesn’t just benefit you physically or mentally; it can also improve your social life! Joining a team sport or joining a gym class are great ways to meet new people who share similar interests as you do. You could even join a running group if you prefer solo activities. Being part of an active community can help foster meaningful relationships that may otherwise not exist in today’s busy world.
Need more convincing to get moving? Check out how exercise can lead to a happier, healthier you.
Exercise controls weight
Exercise can help prevent excess weight gain or help maintain weight loss. When you engage in physical exercise, you burn calories. The more intense the activity, the more calories you burn.
Regular trips to the gym are great but don’t worry if you can’t find a large chunk of time to exercise every day. Any amount of activity is better than none at all. To reap the benefits of exercise, just get more active throughout your day — take the stairs instead of the elevator or rev up your household chores. Consistency is key.
Exercise combats health conditions and diseases
Are you worried about heart disease? Hoping to prevent high blood pressure? No matter what your current weight is, being active boosts high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, the “good” cholesterol, and it decreases unhealthy triglycerides. This one-two punch keeps your blood flowing smoothly, which reduces your risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Regular exercise helps prevent or manage many health problems and concerns, including:
- Stroke
- Metabolic syndrome
- High blood pressure
- Type 2 diabetes
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Many types of cancer
- Arthritis
- Falls
It can also help improve cognitive function and helps lower the risk of death from all causes.
Exercise improves mood
Need an emotional lift? Or need to destress after a stressful day? A gym session or brisk walk can help. Physical activity stimulates various brain chemicals that may make you happier, more relaxed, and less anxious.
You may also feel better about your appearance and yourself when you exercise regularly, which can boost your confidence and improve your self-esteem.
Exercise boosts energy
Are you winded by grocery shopping or household chores? Regular physical activity can improve your muscle strength and boost your endurance. Exercise delivers oxygen and nutrients to your tissues and helps your cardiovascular system work more efficiently. And when your heart and lung health improve, you have more energy to tackle daily chores.
Exercise promotes better sleep
Were you struggling to snooze? Regular physical activity can help you fall asleep faster, get better sleep and deepen your sleep. Just don’t exercise too close to bedtime, or you may be too energized to go to sleep.
Exercise puts the spark back into your sex life
Do you feel too tired or too out of shape to enjoy physical intimacy? Regular physical activity can improve energy levels and increase your confidence in your physical appearance, which may boost your sex life.
But there’s even more to it than that. Regular physical activity may enhance arousal for women. And men who exercise regularly are less likely to have problems with erectile dysfunction than men who don’t exercise.
Exercise can be fun … and social!
Exercise and physical activity can be enjoyable. They give you a chance to unwind, enjoy the outdoors, or simply engage in activities that make you happy. Physical activity can also help you connect with family or friends in a fun social setting. So, take a dance class, hit the hiking trails, or join a soccer team. Find a physical activity you enjoy, and just do it. Bored? Try something new, or do something with friends or family.
Conclusion
Living an active lifestyle has tremendous benefits for both your physical and mental health, as well as your social life! Regular physical activity has been proven to reduce stress levels while improving serotonin production in the brain, which leads to improved mood regulation. Additionally, working out regularly helps build strength while lowering one’s risk of developing chronic illnesses like diabetes over time. Finally, joining an active community such as a sports team or fitness class is beneficial for meeting new people with similar interests! All things considered, it is safe to say that staying active comes with numerous rewards that make it worth pursuing!
References:
https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/pa-health/index.htm
https://www.drugs.com/cg/benefits-of-an-active-lifestyle.html
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/exercise/art-20048389
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