What are the benefits of exercise for mental and physical health

Exercise has many benefits, both curative and preventive, for physical and mental health. Even if you stay below the recommended amount, you may still benefit regardless of how much you exercise.

Exercise benefits both mental and physical health. In fact, "taking it easy" is dangerous, according to a National Institute on Aging study. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says, "Regular physical activity is one of the most important things you can do for your health," and everyone can benefit from it.

As early as 1953, a landmark epidemiological study in The Lancet showed that physically active London bus drivers had a lower incidence of coronary artery disease than less active bus drivers. I was.

According to a recent review, the researcher has linked physical inactivity to more than 40 of his chronic conditions since those early reports.

This article discusses the mental and physical health benefits of regular exercise.

1. improve cardiovascular health

Regular exercise is good for heart health. Possible benefits include:

• Improved cholesterol levels
• lower blood pressure
• Reduce the risk of heart attack and heart disease
• Reduce risk of stroke
• Reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease is an important benefit of exercise.

Although the CDCT recommends that adults engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week, people can start experiencing the benefits of regular exercise quickly.

Profits continue to increase as people become more active.

2. Helps with diabetes management

According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), different types of exercise can benefit people with, or at risk of, type 2 diabetes by:

• Improving control of blood glucose
• Reducing cardiovascular risk factors
• Helping with weight loss
• Helping with general well-being
• Delaying or preventing the development of type 2 diabetes

Exercise can also benefit people with type 1 diabetes by:

• Improving cardiovascular fitness
• Strengthening muscles
• Improving insulin sensitivity

The ADA say, “Physical activity and exercise should be recommended and prescribed to all individuals with diabetes as part of management of glycemic control and overall health.”

3. Reduces risk of some cancers

The National Cancer Institute Trusted Source say there is “strong evidence that higher levels of physical activity are linked to lower risk” of the following cancers:

• Colon
• Stomach
• Esophageal
• Breast
• Bladder
• Uterine (endometrial)
• Kidney

For example, a 2016 analysis of 26 breast, prostate, and colorectal cancer studies found a 37% reduction in cancer-specific mortality when comparing the most active patients with the least active.

There may also be a link between physical activity and reduced risk of other cancers Trusted Source, but the evidence is less clear.

4. Improves mental health and mood

Physical activity can help reduce anxiety, and this benefit can start right after Trusted Source a moderate or vigorous exercise session. In the long term, regular exercise also helps reduce the risk of depression.

5. Improves bone health

Regular exercise helps prevent age-related loss of bone density, says the CDCT. Moderate or vigorous muscle-strengthening, aerobic exercise, and bone-strengthening programs can all help.

Real bone density benefits start with about 90 minutes of exercise per week. Weight-bearing and resistance exercises, such as walking and dancing, are especially beneficial for bone health.

6. Helps build and strengthen muscle

Strength training helps build strong muscles, which is especially important for aging adults.

7. Increase your chances of living longer

According to a 2018 Department of Health and Human Services report, "Strong scientific evidence shows that physical activity delays death from all causes.

Even better, with moderate to vigorous exercise, the benefits will begin to accumulate. The biggest leap occurs when a person goes from 'sluggish' to 'not active enough'.

8. Helps maintain a moderate weight

According to the CDCT, you may need more than the recommended amount of exercise, but there is good evidence that exercise helps you maintain your weight over the long term.

In general, losing and maintaining weight also requires a healthy, balanced diet.

It's easy to overestimate the number of calories burned during exercise.

CDC Trusted Source gives some examples of how many calories a 154-pound person would burn in one hour of her activity.

Hiking:

• 370 calories
• Light gardening:
• 330 calories
• Run or jog at 5 mph:
• 590 calories

9. May Help with Chronic Pain

In 2017, a review of Cochrane-his reviews, which systematically reviewed the evidence for specific interventions, investigated whether exercise and physical activity help chronic pain in adults.

The study concluded that further research is needed for definitive answers.

Although the quality of the evidence was generally low, the authors noted, "There is some evidence of improved physical functioning and varying effects on both mental functioning and quality of life."

Neither intervention appeared to cause harm. The review authors found limited evidence of improvement in pain severity.

10. Prevent falls in the elderly

According to CDC Trusted Source, physical activity, including aerobic exercise, balance training, and strength training, including multiple types of exercise, including: increase.

11. Helps you sleep

Exercise helps people sleep, and some benefits are immediately apparent. Regular exercise helps by:

• Improve sleep efficiency
• Improved sleep quality and deep sleep
• Reduced daytime sleepiness
• Reduce the need for sleeping pills

12. Helps with osteoporosis

Exercise can improve bone health and thus help treat or prevent osteoporosis. Regular exercise also helps prevent falls and fractures related to muscle weakness and balance problems. This is especially important for people with osteoporosis.

13. Improves brain function and reduces the risk of dementia

Regular exercise reduces the risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease in adults.

In people over the age of 50, exercise also improves certain aspects of cognition, including: 

• B. Processing speed.

A 2016 study reviewed evidence to suggest that physical activity, cognitive activity (such as learning new skills), and a Mediterranean diet promote "brain health" in older adults. The results suggest that these behaviors, perhaps in combination, may help reduce cognitive symptoms of aging and neurodegenerative diseases.

summary

Regular exercise can reduce the risk of many serious illnesses, improve mental health and mood, and extend life. Some benefits come from very small increases in physical activity in currently inactive people. Even if a person is not reaching the recommended weekly activity levels, the first small steps are important and worthwhile.