BY: Jody Trierweiler
If you still need evidence about the benefits of fitness and exercise, just search virtually on any online platform and the information abounds! Science continues to display evidence that our bodies benefit from regular, consistent exercise. Long gone are days of being naive to the detriments that being sedentary will cause. “Sitting is the new smoking”, researchers told us in 2018. Lack of regular physical activity is a primary cause of chronic disease.
In 2021, there are NO excuses for not incorporating exercise into your life routine! Regular exercise has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity, heart health and body composition, and decrease blood pressure and blood fat levels. “Moderate physical activity linked with 50 percent reduction in cardiovascular death in over-65s: The cardiovascular risks of modern life.” Published August 2016 European Society of Cardiology.
Results of a 2020 study prove that people must aim to do at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise in a week, as recommended by the World Health Organization. Published in the journal PLOS Medicine, the study was conducted on 90,000 people, over a period of five years. People who exercised the most, had the greatest risk reduction for heart disease.
Don’t be discouraged if the recommended 21 to 42 minutes of daily activity seems overwhelming. Researchers crunched numbers from 9 recent studies involving 50,000 people and concluded that the sweet spot for physical activity and longevity seemed to arrive at 35 minutes of brisk walking or moderate activities, an amount that led to the greatest statistical improvement in life span. Breaking the research down further revealed that even 11 minutes of daily activity significantly decreased chances of premature death.
Further research has proven that you can still reap the benefits of shorter exercise bouts, such as 10 minutes twice a day. You no longer need to dedicate a full hour block of your day for exercise. Simply set aside 10 minutes and hit it hard. Use those 10 minutes to do no equipment required exercises such as pushups, walking lunges, squats, and jumping jacks.
If you still need more motivation to exercise, let’s explore 5 perhaps unfamiliar benefits of regular exercise proven by science.
- Anti-Aging – Exercise increases blood flow, antioxidants, and induce skin cell adaptations which will all help delay the appearance of aging.
- Brain Health – Exercise improves cognitive performance and brain growth. By contrast, a lack of exercise has been linked to brain shrinkage.
- Pain Relief – Exercise not only increases tolerance to pain, it is also a crucial part of rehabilitation and recovery.
- Mental Health – During exercise, your body releases chemicals that can improve your mood and make you feel more relaxed. This can help you deal with stress and reduce your risk of depression.
- Longevity – Studies show that physical activity can reduce your risk of dying early from the leading causes of death like heart disease and some cancers.
Jody Trierweiler has a B.S. in Exercise Science, C.N.C (certified nutritional consultant), is a certified personal trainer and group fitness instructor, hosted 3 seasons of Jody’s FitLife on Comcast, and is currently the fitness expert for Live In The D in Detroit. Follow her as jodysfitlife on social media.