Why stay fit?
Your body has a natural need to move and the more you move the better your body functions. The good news is that you don’t need lots of time or invest in expensive equipment to satisfy your body’s fitness needs.
How much exercise do I need?
Start with just three sessions of 30 minutes each per week, doing any activity that raises your heart rate, such as walking or cycling. As you get fitter, you can set new challenges for yourself by adding more sessions and different kinds of training to your regime, such as yoga, pilates, strength training etc.
What happens in my body when I exercise?
- Your heart rate increases, which pumps more oxygen rich blood to your muscles.
- Glucose and insulin levels stabilise.
- Your lung-capacity increases and more oxygen reaches your brain and muscles.
- Increased blood flow and oxygen levels in the brain, benefits your mental processes immediately.
What are the benefits of regular exercise?
- It lowers your risk of getting a lifestyle disease such as high cholesterol or Type 2 diabetes by stabilising your glucose and insulin levels.
- Stable glucose and insulin levels also help your body to get rid of food cravings.
- During exercise your brain is stimulated to produce serotonin, which helps you feel happier and stabilise your mood.
- Regular physical exertion will help you to return to normal sleeping patterns, which in the long run will help you get rid of fatigue.
- Weight loss.
- It assists with building healthy muscles and bones.
These are just a few, simple physical changes that happen in your body when you exercise, resulting in the benefits mentioned. The body has many complex systems and processes that can benefit from regular exercise and your fitness regime can also be tweaked to address specific health concerns. Consult your doctor for recommendations if you wish to address a specific condition or book a session with a personal trainer if you want to reach more specific fitness goals.