The merits of a regular proper exercise program that builds and maintains your muscular system are wide reaching. From preventing chronic health conditions to promoting weight loss and all round physical, mental and emotional health. To feel better, have more energy to even living longer – look no further than intentional exercise.
These benefits are accessible to everyone regardless of age or physical ability. We all know that exercise is very good for us yet only six out of ten adults have a regular exercise program in place. If you yourself need more convincing lets look at specific ways exercise can improve your life.
1.) The strengthening of muscles – Once we get past our twenties we lose muscle tissue at the rate of one half pound per year unless we work at keeping it. This loss can tip us into a slow downward spiral of declining health. Muscle strength is the number one bio market of the aging process. Keep your strength and you will keep accelerated and premature aging at bay.
2.) The strengthening of bones – As our muscles are attached to our bones if you don’t work your muscles you cannot keep your bones strong. Without work they will weaken, become thinner and more brittle and the risk of osteoporosis increases.
3.) Boost your metabolism – This is your body’s engine and the condition of your muscles determines its health. If you muscles are weak and flabby the rate you burn fuel (calories) will slow to a crawl and becoming overweight is more likely. If you are already overweight you need to get your fat burning machinery up and running properly again as those muscles are where fat is burned for energy.
4.) Give your heart a regular beating – When you work your muscles with strength training exercise your heart gets a great workout as well and becomes stronger. Having a strong healthy heart and its pipes means blood gets pumped around the body better delivering life enhancing oxygen and nutrients to all cells, tissues and organs.
5.) Give the brain a boost – We all know that working our muscles is good for our body but did you know that it gets our brain working better too? From managing stress to processing emotions, exercise oils the wheels that turn in our head which is the control center of our body boosting its power.
So, all in all you get a pretty good deal when you exercise on a regular basis. Just a couple of sessions each week will give many healthy benefits. If your program is set up properly time will not be wasted doing things that are not effective. A fitness professional is the person to help you with this.
Our overall physical health is important so we can live our life to the fullest and our mental and emotional health is closely linked to our physical strength and fitness. Exercise can improve and sustain all three of these areas so you not only have a long life you have the highest quality of life as well.
Yours in strength
Carolyn Hansen
1 comment
bert from sustainable construction says:
31/10/2011 at 6:22 am (UTC 10 )
I have often heard that lifting some weight each week will help to sustain your bone mass as you age. One other aspect of fitness that needs to be maintained, but was not mentioned in your article, is flexibility. Sustaining your flexibility as you age can really help to prevent injury. So, remember when you are working on the construction of a weekly workout plan to include both strength training and a flexibility increasing exercises, such as pilates or yoga.
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