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7 Invisible Ways Exercise Improves Your Life
Many people decide to take up exercise because it healthy and it can bring some nice changes to our bodies. Many notice that they lose weight, have more toned arms and legs, tighter stomachs, and less overall body fat.
However, there are plenty of benefits from regular exercise that we just don’t see. These unseen benefits are just as important as the ones you can see, in fact, perhaps even more so.
In one study it was discovered that, while many people began an exercise routine to lose weight as well as tone their muscles, but they continued to exercise after reaching their ideal weight because it made them feel good!
Take a look at our list of the top 7 hidden benefits to exercising, all those things you can’t see but are still super healthy for you.
1. Exercise strengthens your brain
When you exercise your body increases its blood circulation, which means your brain also benefits from this increased blood flow. This is why you probably feel more focused and more clear-minded after you work out.
In fact, regular exercise actually promotes the growth of new cells in your brain, including those in your hippocampus, the part of your brain responsible for learning and memory.
Regular exercise will encourage your brain to work at its best by developing more nerve cells, strengthening the connections and protecting them from damage. This can help protect you from developing Parkinson’s, stroke, and Alzheimer’s.
2. Improves your body image
Of course exercise will done up your body and help you get that long, lean silhouette you long for, but this is nothing compared to what it can do for your body image and self-esteem. More than 57 studies show that exercise improves how people feel about their bodies, and about themselves, even if they don’t get those 6 pack abs. Read also about 5 super easy exercises that make fat disappear.
3. Exercise lowers anxiety
Undeniably, exercise can have drastic effects on your moods. A Princeton University study shows that regular exercise makes new, easily excitable neurons designed to release GABA neurotransmitter. GABA helps to create a natural state of calm. Many prescription drugs work in this same manner. Valium, Xanax, and Ativan boost your GABA. This calming and stress release happens immediately after your workout and continues for quite a while afterwards.
Exercise will also increase levels of other chemicals such as dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine, which also lower stress levels. The best prevention and treatment for depression is exercise. Find out 5 ways of coping with anxiety that make it worse and avoid them.
4. Exercise improves your sex life
If you want to keep your love life happy, healthy, and active, then you really should exercise. It’s been shown that regular exercise greatly lowers the risk of developing erectile dysfunction. In fact men who were reported as being very active stated that they had much better erections than those who did not exercise or exercised very little.
Exercise opens up your arteries, thereby increasing the blood flow throughout your body (including the penis). It also improves stamina and improves your body image, all important factors for a healthy sex life.
5. Exercise reduces PMS symptoms
Women who get regular exercise state that their PMS symptoms are drastically reduced, including those feelings of irritability and mood swings. The fact is exercise was helpful for more than 80 percent of those who said they suffered from PMS. Find out 20 remedies to kick PMS naturally.
6. Exercise helps you sleep better
For those who difficulty sleeping or staying asleep, exercise is perhaps the best “sleeping pill” you can use. Studies show that those who get regular exercise fall asleep faster, and sleep better than they did before they began their exercise routine.
7. Exercise improves immune function
As you read previously, exercise increases the flow of blood throughout your body. The elements in your immune system are also circulated throughout your body, which means it has a better chance of finding a problem before it spreads further, including, but certainly not only, colds and the influenza virus.
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine found that, by exercising vigorously for a minimum of 205 hours every week, you can dramatically reduce your chances of coming down with the flu.
Various other studies show that regular exercise wards off the common cold. In fact the ability of even a moderate workout to ward off colds appeared to grow the longer it was used. This research study showed that the improved immunity was at its strongest during the final weeks of the year-long exercise program, which suggests that long term exercise is the best way to get the full immune boosting benefits of regular exercise.
Extra Tip:
Exercise is one of the absolute best preventative medicines around. It normalizes insulin, glucose, and leptin receptors. This is extremely important for improving your overall health as well as helping to prevent chronic disease. Exercise is the best preventative drug around and everybody can benefit from taking that kind of medicine.
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