• Blogs >
• Fitness Blog >
• Ten Great Reasons to Exercise

27 Jul 2007 10:31 AM

Ten Great Reasons to Exercise

by Heather Long | More from this Blogger

Do you need 10 good reasons to exercise? After all, we talk about how good exercise is for you all the time. We read the articles, we write them, we offer exercise tips and suggestions. We talk about health, nutrition and much more. But let's break it down so that we're talking about why exercise is great for you and the top ten best reasons to exercise:

• Healthy Heart - All you need to improve your heart and help it is moderate exercise. When you exercise, you reduce your LDL cholesterol (the type that clogs arteries) and helps to diminish blood clots as the blood flow is improved and heart muscle function is improved
• Lose Weight - When you exercise regularly, it helps you to lose weight. If you exercise every day for 30 minutes and do intense exercise for 60 minutes every third day, you can see profound weight loss results
• Osteoporosis Prevented - When you exercise regularly and eat nutritiously, you'll build strong bones and lower the chances for osteoporosis as you age, but it's never too late to start exercising so whether you are 20, 30, 40 or 50, regular exercise can help your bones
• Lower Stress - Regular exercise can lower your blood pressure and it can also help you to relax because it reduces stress and counters depression. While it may only provide a temporary distraction from what stresses you daily, it's a great way to improve your self-esteem and reduce your muscle tension which can relieve the side-effects of too much stress and anxiety
• Healthier Body - Regular exercise actually helps you reduce the number of colds you may have throughout the year. In fact, according to research, regular exercise can make you 23% less likely to get sick
• Asthma Severity Reduced - When you suffer from asthma, you may be less inclined to exercise, but according to the specialists, asthmatics who exercise regularly can actually help themselves to avoid certain triggers that kick off an asthma attack and swimming is a great way to do that
• Diabetic Complications - Lifestyle can impact many conditions, none more so than diabetes. So regular exercise can actually help you reduce your insulin needs
• Healthy Pregnancy - Regular exercise can help you promote a healthy pregnancy and since you can exercise pretty regularly up until your third trimester, you can even help your chances of reducing pregnancy weight gain and losing that weight faster after the baby is born
• Cancer Prevention - 35% of cancer cases may be related to being overweight and the Seattle Cancer Research Centre since being overweight usually means you have higher levels of insulin in your system that can promote the growth of tumors and exercise in women reduces the level of oestrogen, a breast cancer linked hormone
• Healthy Brain - Regular exercise gives you a fitter mind because it can increase the blood flow to the brain, better circulation and may actually stimulate the growth of nerve cells and that can improve memory function

So tell me again, why aren't you exercising regularly?

Learn more about Heather Long

Heather Long is 35 years old and currently lives in Wylie, Texas. She has been a freelance writer for six years. Her husband and she met while working together at America Online over ten years ago.

View Full Profile | More from this Blogger

Send this to a friend