The Perks of Exercise Go Beyond Your Physical Health
At Zone Fitness, we know first-hand the benefits of committing to an exercise routine to boost your health and improve your physique. There are, however, lesser-known perks that have fallen by the wayside of consideration when most people tally the benefits of regular exercise.
We took the time to look into all the ways that exercise can lower stress levels, curb cognitive decline, alleviate anxiety, release endorphins, boost brain activity, enhance recollection, help control addictions, increase levels of relaxation and more!
The most obvious after-effect of a persevering training routine is a sudden influx of good feelings regarding your self-perception. Simply put, the more you exercise the more confident you become about your body and your ‘attractiveness’.
The next perk is the fact that exercise relieves stress. If you’ve had a trying day at the office, a walk is the perfect thing to, as they say, “clear your head”. You can up the ante depending on your fitness; the harder you work at it the sooner you’ll work it out of your system. Exercise increases concentrations of norepinephrine, a chemical that can moderate the brain’s response to stress. Giving yourself a physical outlet while releasing this chemical spells a better mood in a matter of minutes.
Cognitive decline is a natural occurrence following the age of 45 and older. What happens is that diseases and natural causes accumulate and results in a shrinking of the brain due to the destructive properties. To curb this, it’s recommended that people emphasise a regular workout routine between the ages of 25 and 45. This boosts the chemicals in the brain that support and prevent degeneration of the hippocampus, an important part of the brain for memory and learning.
When it comes to anxiety, the build-up can become overwhelming very quickly and staying on edge isn’t good for your health at all. Luckily, there are chemicals released during and after exercise that can help people with anxiety disorders calm down. Regular exercise can act as a coping mechanism as opposed to perpetuating the problem through worrying, stress, etc. Studies have suggested that jogging on the track or treadmill for some moderate-to- high intensity aerobic can reduce anxiety sensitivity.
Exercise can also boost your brain activity. A variety of studies on mice and men have deduced that cardiovascular exercise can create new brain cells, which is always a plus! Studies also suggest that a hard workout increases the levels of a brain-derived protein (otherwise known as BDNF) in the body; which has been found to encourage decision making, higher thinking and learning.
If you’re struggling with an addiction, we have another reason for you to commit to regular exercise. As a short-term solution, studies have proven that exercise can distract addicts; aiding them in the act of de-prioritising their cravings. As a combination of thorough treatment, exercise can see an addict on the road to recovery, giving them new outlets for release and all-natural doses of dopamine.
All in all, going above and beyond the physical benefits of regular exercise, there are perks to training that can see you fostering a better state of mind and outlook on life while also enhancing your brain activity and giving you the release you need to re-balance yourself after a trying day. Of course, If you’re suffering from a serious illness you cannot solely rely on the impact of exercise as medical attention and treatment are crucial in you being healthy again. We, at Zone Fitness, are cheering you on and will always encourage exercise as a means to better all of our lives!