Levi KeswickBeing active can be an effective way to maintain your physical and mental health. Physical activity doesn’t have to be exercise. It could be anything you do in your day-to-day life – like running errands or doing housework.
Fitness is Essential to a Meaningful Life:
- Fitness can help you build up a satisfying circle of healthy activities and positive habits.
Fitness can help you build up a satisfying circle of healthy activities and positive habits. It encompasses your daily routine – exercise and diet, rest and relaxation, work and relationships. All of these things have a big influence on your life and weight. The more included you are in enjoyable fitness-related activities, the less likely you are to feel isolated, eat unhealthily, or be sedentary. We all need a healthy and active balance in our lives.
The sooner you start, the better. When you are young, being active and fit is easier. As you get older, you tend to adopt sedentary habits that make fitness an increasingly difficult, often unpleasant task. Being active and fit is essential for having a long, healthy life.
- Fitness helps you live longer.
In fact, regular physical activity may help you live, on average, 10-15% longer – amounting to about 3 years of life expectancy.
In the landmark 75,000-strong landmark Harvard Alumni Study, a regular exerciser increased his or her chance of living to age 80 by about 60%, while someone who had never exercised had only an 18% chance of making it to 80, unlike a regular exerciser. Even in people over the age of 80, physical activity leads to a quality of life that includes mobility, social and mental activity.
In addition, it has been estimated that about three-fourths of the 630,000 preventable deaths each year in America could be prevented by regular physical activity.
Start with some gentle movement and build it up over time. What is gentle? Anything that makes you breathe harder than usual and leaves you feeling warmer. If you already have a fitness routine, add on a few minutes at the end to make your muscles work a little harder.
Get some basic strengthening activities in your exercise routine, but don’t push so hard that you’re exhausted. Always follow your exercise routine with cardiovascular activity (like walking, biking, or running), and get plenty of rest. Some light stretching is also crucial to keep your body flexible.
While most of us should avoid overtraining, a balanced workout regimen ensures that our bodies are not overtaxed. Be careful to not overdo and follow the advice of professionals.
- Fitness can encourage you to take good care of yourself.
Being fit can mean being the best you. Physical activity can provide a connection between your mind and body, which can become an important way to maintain a positive approach to your life in general.
Fitness can include anything from simply taking the stairs instead of the elevator to participating in a triathlon or marathon. A fitness routine facilitates a healthy self-image, and a healthy self-image may influence other healthy life choices.
Healthy choices naturally encourage you to eat well and get regular exercise. This kind of lifestyle will help you prevent some of the chronic diseases that are plaguing the Western world (such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer), and you will feel better about yourself.
Get out and be physically active every day. Participate in some kind of activity that leaves you a little short of breath or tired. Walking is a great form of exercise, although not too intense. Even a brisk, two-mile walk every day will take off some pounds and help you be more energetic. Most people can benefit greatly by walking about three or four times a week.
- Fitness is essential to your sleep.
The right exercise at the right time can improve your ability to get a good night’s rest.
Normal healthy sleep is essential for overall health and well-being, and poor sleep quality is associated with an increased risk of being overweight.
It’s important to determine the right time to exercise. It should not be within 3-4 hours before going to bed. Exercise releases adrenaline, which can stimulate brain activity and the body’s metabolism. There are several reasons that this is not good before bedtime.
First, adrenaline stimulates brain activity by enhancing alertness and promoting the release of cortisol which is a stress hormone. Although it is natural and necessary for the body, over-stimulation can prevent the body from sinking into the deeply relaxing levels of sleep.
Second, exercise stimulates the metabolism. The increased demands for oxygen and energy maintenance can keep the body from entering a restful state of sleep.
A simple ten-minute walk at an easy pace is often a better choice than a longer sprint would be, but always check with your doctor before beginning any fitness regimen.
- Fitness promotes emotional well-being.
Physical activity can help moderate stress. Exercising regularly even just 30 minutes per day can be tremendously beneficial to your emotional, physical, and mental health.
People who are physically active tend to have greater control over their emotional state than those who aren’t. They are better able to manage stressful situations with less stress or strain.
Besides the short-term boost that exercise can provide, there is evidence that regular, moderate exercise (30 minutes or more, at moderate intensity, most days of the week) can promote psychological well-being.
There is good evidence that exercise reduces stress and the risk of depression and anxiety significantly by enhancing self-esteem. It is found that people who are physically active feel better than people who are inactive. Exercising even 3-4 times a week for 30 minutes can make a huge difference to your physical and mental well-being.
You can reap the benefits of greater fitness by starting slowly and by making fitness an integral part of your daily routine.
Walking is a great exercise as it can improve your overall sense of well-being. You can feel even better about yourself and your calmer, less stressful life.
