Physical fitness plays a significant role in your body’s ability to function properly and is the best way to combat the stress of today’s hectic lifestyles. Feeling stronger physically greatly improves your mental well-being, making you “fit for life” so to speak. Fitness activities come in many different forms; spending time in a gym, dancing, and playing sports are only a few ways for you to stay physically fit and improve your health. Find an activity you love doing, and make it part of your weekly routine. Here is how being physically active contributes to your life in positive ways;
Improves Mood
While fitness is a great way to keep your body in top physical condition, the benefits of adopting a fitness routine go much further than seeing the tangible, physical results. It makes you happy! When you participate in fitness activities and get your heart pumping, you are positively impacting your emotional and mental health. Feelings of stress, anxiety, depression and other mental health issues naturally improve with physical activity as it stimulates the “feel good” chemicals in your brain that directly contribute to happiness and relaxation.
Combats Disease
Regular physical activity directly impacts your body’s ability to fight various diseases and illnesses. Heart disease, high blood pressure and cholesterol have been linked to factors like weight, diet and overall physical condition. Engaging in physical activities and establishing a regular fitness routine not only helps prevent these, and other diseases, but can also help treat and reverse them. For example, a person who suffers from high cholesterol produces too much LDL (Low-Density Lipoproteins), which leads to cholesterol build up in the arteries. Exercise helps increase blood flow through the arteries and boosts the production of your body’s “good” cholesterol HDL (High-Density Lipoprotein), thus, naturally working toward decreasing high levels of “bad” cholesterol.
Increases Energy
Feeling sluggish sometimes during the day is not uncommon for most people. While a lack of energy isn’t always avoidable, engaging in physical activity and fitness can give you a natural boost of energy and improve your endurance. Consider implementing a short morning fitness routine to kick start your day and give you that much needed energy boost. Additionally, regular physical activity also contributes to better sleep. When you’re active, you’re likely able to sleep more soundly, resulting in more energy throughout the day.