Exercise has long been known to be good for your heart, but it can also improve your mood and help stave off colds and other minor illnesses. The best part is that the health benefits of exercise are cumulative: they get stronger over time as you continue to work out. So if you’re feeling like you don’t have enough time in the day to fit in a workout routine, consider how much more productive (and happy!) you’ll be as time goes on!
Exercise is good for your heart.
One of the ways that exercise helps is by lowering blood pressure, a risk factor for heart disease. One study found that walking 30 minutes every day could reduce systolic blood pressure—the top number in a blood pressure reading—by an average of 7 over 6 months. Another trial showed that resistance training can also lower diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number). It’s important to note that these studies were done on healthy people with normal levels; if you have high or above-normal levels, talk with your doctor before starting an exercise program to make sure it’s safe for you.
Also good news: exercising regularly has been shown to decrease bad cholesterol (LDL), raise good cholesterol (HDL), and help prevent obesity-related diabetes. All of these things can play into living longer!
Helps stave off colds and other minor illnesses.
Exercise also helps stave off colds and other minor illnesses. When you exercise, your immune system is boosted, which means that your body has a better chance at fighting off whatever germs are floating around. The increased blood flow to the body also helps with this process, as does reducing stress and anxiety through exercise. Finally, getting enough sleep is essential in helping you recover from illness or injury; in fact, one study found that sleeping five or fewer hours per night was associated with an 80% increase in mortality risk for heart disease patients!
Improves your mood.
Exercise is a great way to feel happier and more relaxed. When you exercise, like running with compressa knee sleeves, you release endorphins, which are hormones that make you feel good and can also help with depression. Exercise is also associated with better sleep quality, which can improve how you feel about yourself on a daily basis. Additionally, the act of exercise itself can release tension from your muscles and mind—and feeling less stressed often makes people feel better overall!
If you’re looking to improve your health and well-being, we hope our list of benefits has convinced you that exercise is worth it! We all have busy schedules and other priorities in life, but we think it’s important to prioritize health as well. It’s easy for us as humans to forget about our bodies when so much else seems to be going on around us—but with just a little bit of time each day spent moving around, we can make ourselves happier and healthier overall. So what are you waiting for? Try out some new exercises today!
