Physical Wellbeing
There is an activity that will prevent disease and illnesses, help you lose weight, fight stress and put you in a good mood. It can also slow down your aging process and make you feel younger. This could be done 30 minutes a day and four or five times a week. It will give you so many other benefits.
This miracle formula is called physical exercise. Regular exercise is one of the most important activities that you can do to fight physical disease and prevent mental illnesses such as anxiety and depression. The benefits of exercise to keep you in good shape and prevent you from getting chronic diseases such as hypertension which can lead to strokes and diabetes are hard to ignore.
Exercise reduces the build-up of harmful plaque in your arteries by increasing the concentration of good cholesterol (HDL) in your blood. It also strengthens your heart so that it can pump blood to the body more efficiently. It also decreases the risk of developing high blood pressure. Exercise makes you breathe deeper, which benefits your respiratory system.
Physical activity is the most important factor in maintaining bone density. It strengthens your bones and joints. Exercise fights against chronic bone diseases like osteoporosis and arthritis. Physical exercise is paramount in safeguarding the strength of your bones and the flexibility of your joints.
Exercise helps you to manage your weight. In addition to a healthy diet and rest, daily physical activity helps you to remain slim and to prevent diseases associated with overweight such as diabetes and hypertension. Even if you suffer from these chronic diseases, moderate exercise can help you to lower the risks of these illnesses. Physical activity helps the hormone insulin to help absorb more energy to the cells and thus to lower the blood sugar levels.
Mental Health
Exercise helps you mentally by releasing certain neurotransmitters such as serotonin which helps your brain to feel good. This feeling of well-being prevents people from getting mental diseases like depression and anxiety. These chemicals also help people to relax and to have better sleep.
Research has shown that regular exercise may help to lower the risk of various cancers, such as that of the breast, colon, uterus and prostate. It also regulates your bowels because it helps the digested food material to move through the small bowels and big bowels (colon) more quickly.
Nobody who advocates regular exercise urges you to get a membership of your nearest gym, or to buy an expensive exercise machine or to join any health and swimming clubs. You need not spend any money to exercise regularly to obtain all the above health benefits. Health and fitness instructors and teachers just request you to start walking daily. Start with fifteen minutes a day and increase it to thirty minutes a day. Jog at a slow pace if you are fit enough. Increase your running to 30 minutes a day.
There are other methods that can keep our bodies active. It is to take part in sports. Vigorous exercise is required if you are taking part in sports such as basketball, football, tennis or even cricket. These sports demand strenuous physical exercise. Besides sports, taking part in yoga and tai chi stretches routines believed in the value of deep breathing and the value of a supple spine and joints. These techniques keep our joints and muscles active and keep them in prime condition. An ancient saying goes; "Either use it or lose it" This is quite true referring to our muscles and joints. Either use them and keep your muscles and joints in prime condition or lose their flexibility and face joint and muscle problems such as osteoarthritis or rheumatic arthritis.
(If you have physical or psychological problems, or are on any medications or under the care and the supervision of any physician, psychiatrist or therapist, please consult your physician, psychiatrist or therapist, before you start any vigorous exercise program. Do not change your life style without consulting them.)