Why exercise is so important in 2023.

Exercise is one of the main factors to living a healthy life. Exercise can look very different for each individual. For some it may be training all year for a marathon, and to some people it may be just a gentle walk in the evenings after work. No matter how intense the exercise is, it is important that we are doing enough of it.

Exercise is can also be known as physical activity and usually results in a raised heart rate during the duration of it. Examples of exercise include, swimming, walking, running, weight lifting and yoga. Persistent exercise results in the improvement of your fitness/strength, depending on the type of activity you are doing. Exercise can be done in many shapes and forms.

Exercise will improve our physical health. When conducting regular exercise we are strengthening the heart and increasing our blood circulation.

Feel better about yourself

Controls weight management

Improves muscular strength

Increases energy/stamina

Prevents the risk of illnesses

Improves sleep quality

Increase life expectancy

The consequences of not exercising

When you are not exercising frequently there are many difficulties that you may come across. You may experience weight gain. This will be due to your calorie intake (the amount you eat) being higher than the amount of calories you burn each day. If you are not exercising on a regular basis then you put yourself at risk of gaining weight if this is a reoccurring matter. Gaining weight is not always a bad thing although it is made out to us that it is not good! This is all dependant on each and every individuals needs and situation.

Not exercising can affect your mental health. It has been proven that not taking part in regular exercise can impact your mental health. You may not know this because you may think it is normal but why not start a new activity and see how you feel.

Sleep quality. People who do not exercise at least three times a week are proven to be at more of a risk of having distrusted sleep. You may experience difficulty falling asleep as well as staying asleep.

Aerobic exercises improve your cardiovascular fitness, endurance and lung capacity. It involves a continuous movement, which raises your heart rate and results in your oxygen intake increasing.

Strength training is where the task is to improve muscular strength, endurance and power. It will target specific muscles depending on the exercise you are doing. Strength exercises tend to involve weights, resistant bands or even your own bodyweight. Strength training increases muscle mass which is why people go to the gym. When you are running, not only is it an aerobic exercise, but it is also a strength exercise because you are strengthening you leg muscles, such as you calf’s, quads and glutes.

Flexibility exercises improve your joint movement. It will improve the flexability of your muscles and result in your mobility being much higher. Flexibility exercises help reduce the risk of an injury.