Most people associate exercise with weight loss or building muscle, but there are also many other benefits that we can receive along the way as well. Let’s take a closer look at how a little bit of exercise can go a long way to improve our quality of life now as well as during a survival situation.
Mental Clarity
Exercise increases heart rate and forces us to breathe deeper. This introduces more oxygen into the bloodstream and delivers it to the brain. Our brains thrive in an oxygen-rich environment, and people who exercise regularly tend to feel better emotionally while being able to think more-clearly. Additionally, there is substantial evidence that suggests that exercise can play a big role in preventing dementia, or slowing its progress, as well as a range of brain disorders.
Bone Density
We all know that exercise builds muscle, but did you know that it also supports healthy bone growth and regeneration? One of the benefits of exercise is that it produces compounds that help bones to absorb calcium. Additionally, exercise can fortify the structure of bones and help to make them stronger. Best of all, it doesn’t take a lot of exercise to experience positive results. In fact, some studies suggest that we just need about 15 minutes of resistance training a few days a week for these benefits to start kicking in.
Disease Prevention
Exercise literally gets our “juices flowing”, and this process helps to rid the body of damaged cells and toxins that can contribute to a variety of diseases. Additionally, exercise produces chemicals that our immune system needs to resist infections. It also helps to burn fat and reduce inflammation, both of which are leading causes of heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes.
Resistance to Injury
Exercise helps to strengthen ligaments and tendons while also keeping our cartilage pliable. Additionally, muscles become much more flexible, and they can adhere to bones better as well. All of this can go a long way with reducing injuries associated with strains, sprains and tears.
Sleep Quality
There are a number of theories as to why exercise promotes better sleep, but the reasons why aren’t as important as the results. People who get about 30 minutes of exercise per day tend to sleep about 70% better than those who don’t. Additionally, good, deep sleep helps the body to repair damaged tissues, remove chemicals that cause stress and allow our brains to properly “reset” before we wake up. People who exercise on a regular basis also tend to fall asleep faster and wake up feeling more-refreshed as well.
Remember that you don’t have to engage in extreme, intense workouts in order to start experiencing these and other benefits associated with exercise. The key to success is to be consistent by getting in a little bit of moderate physical activity every day. It’s also important to remember that it can take a few weeks before a lot of the benefits start to take hold, so be patient as your body starts to respond to these positive changes. However, the rewards you can experience will definitely be worth the wait.
