It can be easy to get comfortable laying in bed or being on the couch all day instead of getting in daily exercise. Staying at home and quarantining during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic cultivated bad habits in many people, which caused them to ignore physical health. A lack of physical activity can have detrimental effects on your health, despite the temptation to binge watch your favorite shows for hours. These negative effects include an increased risk for high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, depression, and, in general, a decrease of overall immune system functioning. It's critical that we work to improve our overall health now more than ever.
How much should we be exercising?
To reduce your risk of heart disease as well as other healthy benefits, experts advise engaging in at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity each week. This can be reached by getting at least 30 minutes of exercise for 5 days per week. Furthermore, to maintain a healthy weight, experts on weight loss advise getting at least 200 minutes of exercise each week.
Consider these six advantages of regular exercise if you decide to start exercising right now. Increasing activity can help you:
Maintain a stable weight. Exercise is crucial for weight management and preventing obesity, in addition to diet. Your daily calorie intake and energy consumption must balance out in order to maintain your weight. You must burn more calories than you consume in order to lose weight.
Boost energy/brain power. Exercise helps your cardiovascular system function more effectively and distributes oxygen and nutrients to your tissues. Additionally, you have greater energy to complete daily tasks as your heart and lung health improves.
Combat health conditions and diseases. Your heart and circulation are improved by exercise. The increased blood flow raises your body's oxygen levels. Your chance of developing heart problems like high cholesterol, coronary artery disease, and heart attacks is reduced as a result.
Improve mood. Various brain chemicals are stimulated by physical activity, which may make you feel happier, more at ease, and less stressed. Regular exercise can also help you feel better about your appearance and yourself, which can increase your confidence and self-esteem.
Promote better sleep. You can sleep better, longer, and fall asleep more quickly if you exercise regularly. Just remember to avoid exercising right before bedtime if you don't want to be too energized to sleep.
Increase chances of living longer. According to studies, engaging in physical activity can lower your risk of an early death from major causes including heart disease and various diseases.
Final Thoughts:
During quarantine in the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was difficult transitioning to everything online, such as classes and work. Everything was overwhelming and physical exercise was the least of our concerns for many.
However, it’s important for us to get rid of these habits ingrained during quarantine and incorporate daily exercise to reap its benefits, especially improving our health. You'll be able to lead a much better and healthier life than you were previously because of it.
References:
https://medlineplus.gov/benefitsofexercise.html