Today most people do not exercise during work or rest hours. There are not many jobs requiring intense physical activity. With all the technology advancing our lives tend to became more and more sedentary. Instead of being physically active, people usually watch TV or keep hours in front of a computer in their free time. Instead of walking, people use automobiles or public transportation. Instead of use stairs people get the elevator. It is very important to put in people minds that not only a pre set work out can be good but the amount of activities you do during all day.
Exercise is very important and is beneficial both physically and mentally. Sometimes people do not realize how good exercising is for their life, how huge are the number of benefits exercise can provide. Also people tend to believe that exercise is only good for keep the body in shape while it can give you an incredible mind pump when talking about feeling good and fighting depression. When you exercise, you feel better about yourself because you are fit or you are getting fit and you feel that you have accomplished something that was hard to strive for.
The benefits of physical activity are that it gives you more energy, it helps you in dealing with stress, it improves self-image, and it increases resistance of tiredness. There are also some body chemical substances related on exercising and feeling good which I am going to discuss in this paper. In a study of rats at the University of Wisconsin, they had one group of rats exercise on an exercise wheel, and another group that didn’t exercise. When the rats were exposed to stress, the exercising rats released measurably less norepinephrine into their brains.
Norepinephrine is a hormone that produces adrenaline. In other words, the exercising rats had a healthier response to the stressful event. Also a study at Stanford University with healthy but sedentary adults who had trouble sleeping and/or sleeping an average of six hours per night, were put on an exercise program for three months. By the end of the study, the exercisers were sleeping about forty-five minutes longer and falling asleep fifteen minutes faster, on average. The ones who didn’t exercise had not improved. While stress can cause illnesses, illness can also cause stress.
So improving your overall health and longevity with exercise can also save you a great deal of stress in the short run, by strengthening your immunity to colds, the flu and other minor illnesses and in the long run by helping you stay healthier longer, and enjoy life more because of it. Research has proven that twenty to forty minutes of aerobic exercise reduces anxiety and improves mood, not just while you’re doing it, but for hours afterwards. Exercise stimulates various brain chemicals, which may leave you feeling happier and more relaxed than you were before you worked out.
You will also look better and feel better when exercise regularly, which can boost your confidence and improve your self-esteem. Another good benefit related to exercise is that it also can help you on your sexual life. Regular exercise can leave you feeling energized and looking better, which may have a positive effect in your sex life. Exercise improves your circulation, which can lead you to more satisfying sex. Men who exercise regularly are less likely to have problems with erectile dysfunction than are men who do not exercise, especially as they get older.
In the previous pages we have looked at several different studies that seem to indicate physical activity can increase feelings of well being in those persons that participate. The increase in well being from exercise seems to stem from an increase in body chemical substances which help us to feel better. This research can also conclude that exercise can help those persons that participate by improving their self image and/or outlook on life. Our society is profoundly affected by external appearances and the ability to improve oneself in relation to what others deem to be socially acceptable also gives that person a boost in self esteem.
So not only does exercise increase the feel good chemicals in our bodies, but it also has physical benefits to help us feel better as well. Exercise does not have to be painful. Take a yoga class. Check out a local climbing wall or hiking trail. Try to use less your car and walk more or even park your car far from where you are trying to go. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Remember, the amount of activities you do during the day also counts. Find an activity you enjoy, and go for it. If you get bored, try something new. If you are moving, that is what matters.
