There’s no secret that the best way to drop pounds is to pick up an exercise routine! But, did you know the benefits of regular exercise extend well beyond just weight management? Exercise affects all parts of our bodies – even our brains – helping to boost our overall health in a number of different ways. Here are 5 benefits of regular exercise other than weight loss:
1. Reduces Risk of Chronic Disease
One of the best benefits of regular exercise is how it can help reduce our risk of certain diseases and health conditions. Working out can help to reduce your risk of heart disease or stroke, type 2 diabetes, infectious diseases such as the flu and even some cancers. That makes exercise one of the best precautions we can take to protect against health problems down the road!
2. Manages Chronic Health Conditions
For those currently managing chronic health conditions, exercise can provide a beneficial boost to your system. By exercising you can combat these conditions, helping to ease particular symptoms. For instance, working out can help patients with arthritis experience less pain while improving function and quality of life. Patients with type 2 diabetes can control their blood sugar levels and lower their risk of heart disease and nerve damage by exercising.
3. Boost in Energy & Mood
Are you tired of constantly feeling exhausted or down? Regular exercise often provides a boost in both energy and mood! When we exercise the brain releases endorphins that improve our overall sense of well-being, relieve pain and reduce stress. This natural “runner’s high” after working out helps put us at ease and feel happier. Exercise delivers both oxygen and nutrients to the body’s tissues that helps the cardiovascular system operate more efficiently, allowing us to feel more energized.
4. Builds Strong Muscles & Bones
Exercise can strengthen muscles, bones and joints. As we age, it becomes increasingly important to protect these parts of the body that keep us moving. The best way to do that is to be active! As your muscles grow from exercise they begin to pull harder on your bones, working to give the bones increased strength. When we fail to routinely exercise, the opposite happens as both muscles and bones lose strength, making us more susceptible to muscle tears or bone breaks.
5. Improved Sleep Quality
Another one of the noticeable benefits of regular exercise is improved quality of sleep. Exercise is known to relieve stress, helping to put us in a more relaxed state necessary to fall asleep. A 2020 sleep study found that those who engaged in High Intensity Interval Training workouts showed improvements in total sleep time, sleep efficiency and wake after sleep onset after 12 weeks of exercise. Exercise increases our need for sleep which can often lead to us falling asleep faster.
The benefits of regular exercise go far beyond just helping in the management of weight! Freedom Functional Medicine believes in helping people by addressing disease at the foundational level. You can learn more about our functional medicine approach here!
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