You are probably no stranger to the fact that exercise is good for you. Many of us are engaged in busy daily routines with strenuous job responsibilities and tend to neglect to give ourselves the proper amount of time to work out during any given week. Exercise can be used for preventative measures, act as an intervention for current circumstances, and help to encourage people to maintain healthy lifestyles. Whether or not you consider yourself to be healthy, there is always more you can be doing to improve your health and well-being.
There are many reasons that people exercise, with the most common reason being to stay fit. Some people turn to exercise to lose weight, while others may turn to exercise as a means to cope with difficult life experiences. Exercise holds numerous benefits to all of the domains of wellness: physical, emotional, and mental.
Exercise as a Preventative Measure
The first major reason why people exercise is to prevent certain health situations from occurring. For example, many people may engage in exercise opportunities to keep themselves from gaining weight. Obesity is a leading health concern in our nation; exercise can help to prevent people from ever reaching a state of obesity.
Next to weight, exercise can also help to prevent increasing risks of various health-related issues. For example, exercise can reduce your risk of heart disease and cancer. This is because exercise strengthens your heart, improving your overall blood circulation. Increased blood flow increases oxygen levels, which lowers the risk of heart disease, high cholesterol, and heart attacks.
Another benefit of exercise is that it can be used as a preventative measure to lower the risk of erectile dysfunction in men. It can also slow the loss of bone density that comes with age.
Exercise as an Intervention
Exercise can also act as an intervention, most popularly for weight loss. Nearly every weight loss journey involves intense exercise. To lose weight, a person must burn more calories than they are eating or drinking.
Exercise can also act as an intervention for those looking to replace their unhealthy habits. Many people who struggle with addiction need replacements habits to help combat cravings and withdrawal symptoms. For those that are looking to quit smoking, for example, exercise can help to reduce these unpleasant feelings or cravings that are typically experienced during recovery.
Exercise Fosters a Balanced Lifestyle
Weight control is a popular reason that people engage in exercise. Along with proper dieting, regular exercise is essential when it comes to trying to control your weight. To maintain your weight, you must eat and drink the same amount of calories as you burn.
There are several notable health benefits of exercise that are worth sharing when it comes to maintaining a balanced lifestyle. These benefits include:
- Improving your quality of sleep. Exercise can help you to fall asleep more quickly and help you to stay asleep.
- Strengthening your muscles and bones. Muscle-strengthening activities can help you to maintain and increase your muscle mass. Regular exercise during development can help adolescents and teens to build strong bones.
- Stimulating your mind. Exercise stimulates your body to release neurotransmitters and hormones that help to improve both the structure and functions of your brain. This helps keep your thinking, judgment, and learning skills sharp even with age.
- Improving mental and physical endurance. Frequent exercise can help to train your mind to work through and persevere beyond unpleasant or challenging situations, whether they are physically painful or mentally distressing. Endurance training is essential for navigating through difficulties in life.
- Improving overall mood. Exercise causes the body to release chemicals that boost your sense of well-being while reducing hormones that create feelings of stress and anxiety.
What Options of Exercise Are Out There?
When people think of exercise, they often consider different forms of cardio such as running. The neat thing about exercise is that there are numerous different forms. If you are ready to put exercise into your daily routine, you need to find what forms of exercise work for you.
For example, yoga is a great option for people that would like to focus on endurance, flexibility, and balance. There are many different types of yoga that act on different systems inside the mind and body. Consider what other mental or physical factors you would like to work on to find the best form of physical activity for you.
Here is a list of different options of exercise that you can try for yourself:
- Running, jogging, or walking
- Swimming
- Biking
- Climbing stairs
- Playing a sport, such as tennis, soccer, or basketball
- Aerobics
- Dancing
- Hiking
- Pilates
- Stretching
Exercise is a well-known topic, as most people understand that exercise is good for our health. Many of us live such busy lives that we often forget how important it is to engage in physical activity weekly, if not daily. Physical activity works to prevent certain health risks from occurring, works to intervene when certain health circumstances occur, and helps individuals to maintain a healthy lifestyle. West Coast Recovery Centers understands the value of exercise when it comes to mental health and addiction recovery. If you are struggling from mental health distress, let us guide you through your journey of healing. We offer various treatment options to help individualize your care. Our professional staff is encouraged by our clients courage and willingness to find greater purpose and meaning in their life during their recovery journey. For more information about the treatment options we offer, give us a call today at (760) 492-6509.