words Al Woods
Regular exercise is pivotal to our overall physical and emotional wellbeing. There are tonnes of reasons why keeping in shape is important for our day-to-day health. From energy levels, productivity, better sleep, and even better sex. Here’s a handful of reasons why exercise is so important.
Strength and endurance
A regular exercise routine and training your muscles will improve your strength and endurance over time. With a regular exercise routine, we can work different sets of muscles at different intensity and resistance levels. Exercise is a healthy way to challenge our bodies and build up stamina over time. There’s plenty of home workout options that can help us do this. Then at the gym, you have more choice given the equipment and machines. For example, a stepper exercise machine, a treadmill and rowing machine are all great for improving strength and endurance.
Mood & Self-Esteem
Our emotional wellbeing is equally as important as our physical wellbeing; and the two are intrinsically linked. Improved mood and self-esteem is a key psychological benefit of regular exercise. When we exercise, our brains release chemicals called endorphins. These are often referred to as happy chemicals – they react with receptors in the brain to reduce our perception of pain. The also mimic the positive feelings produced by morphine. Many who run often describe the feeling that follows a run as euphoric – also known as “runner’s high”. This can also lead to a positive and energising outlook on life.
Cardiovascular & lung capacity
Exercise is renowned for improving cardiovascular fitness – this is the ability to handle aerobically challenging situations. By focusing on improving your cardiovascular health, you can improve the efficiency of your heart, lungs, and blood vessel function. The easier your heart finds it to pump blood around the body, the less pressure your heart is put under, and more oxygen can be carried throughout your body. Consequently, this leaves you living a much healthier life day-to-day.
Improved sleep
Sleep is crucial for our overall wellbeing and our day-to-day energy levels. On better sleep, we are more productive and energised. It is often advised that adults get between 7-8 hours of sleep each night. However, a lot of people don’t accomplish this. For many reasons, a good night’s sleep can be challenging to achieve. Including more exercise in your routine can use up excess energy from the day and can lead to a better night’s sleep since you’ll be ready for bed and make it easier to fall asleep.
Improved sex life
A healthy sex life is essential for your wellbeing and relationships. It’s also linked with your self-esteem, confidence, and physical health. Regular exercise boosts your overall energy levels, and can make you feel better about yourself. Especially, if you engage in regular exercise. As a result, you’ll feel more confident in the bedroom, and the more sex you have with your partner, the more confident in yourself you will feel too.
