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The benefits of physical activity
Did you know there can be…
Three types of structured exercise include:
- Aerobic or cardiovascular exercise
- Strength or resistance exercise
- Balance and flexibility exercise
It’s important to try and incorporate all three types into your physical activity plan, as they each contribute differently to your health and wellbeing. Continue reading to understand the benefits of each type.
Aerobic/ cardiovascular exercise
- Lowers blood pressure
- When you exercise you can improve the strength and performance of your heart as it is a muscle. A stronger heart muscle can pump more blood around the body with more efficiency and less beats per minute. This improvement reduces the force on the arteries, in turn, lowering our blood pressure.
- Lowers your chance of developing depression
- Those with high levels of physical activity have been shown to have a lower chance of developing depression when compared to those with low levels of physical activity. The most recognisable benefit that physical exercise offers for our mental health is the release of feel-good brain chemicals like endorphins. Endorphins relieve pain and stress in the mind and give us an overarching feeling of enjoyment during physical activity and other pastimes.
- Increased energy levels
- This is due to increased oxygen delivery, haemoglobin and iron. Your body also becomes more efficient at utilising energy stores, such as body fats and glucose.
- Improved gastrointestinal function
- Regular exercise helps boost the metabolism, promotes the efficient elimination of waste and encourages digestive health. Physical activity is an excellent “treatment” for people who suffer from slow digestion and constipation.
- Improvement in life expectancy
- Regular exercise is associated with improved levels of fitness and lower risk of cardiovascular mortality.
Strength/ resistance exercises
- Maintenance of or an increase in muscle strength and reduced onset of sarcopenia
- As we get older, we experience a decline in muscle mass. This is known as sarcopenia and can result in a decline in strength and function which, in turn, affects balance, gait and overall ability to perform tasks of daily living. However, it has been shown that regular resistance training can help slow and even partially reverse sarcopenia in elderly populations, meaning improved strength and function to perform daily tasks such as getting in and out of a chair.
- Osteoarthritis
- Resistance training encourages increased bone remodelling which increases bone density (lowering the risk of fractures).
- Osteoporosis
- This is due to increased oxygen delivery, haemoglobin and iron. Your body also becomes more efficient at utilising energy stores, such as body fats and glucose.
- Improve glycaemic control
- Resistance training benefits individuals with Type 2 diabetes as it helps improve your glycaemic control, insulin resistance as well as reducing fat mass and BMI.
Balance/ flexibility exercise
- Improved balance and mobility
- Activities that focus on working the major muscle groups and help develop a strong core, which encourages better posture and balance and reduces widespread muscle pain. This, in turn, maintains and in some cases, improves mobility, which can help reduce the risk of falls.
- Improves wellbeing, circulation and nutrient flow
- Balance and flexibility training have shown to improve posture which also leads to an improved appearance and wellbeing. Improvement in flexibility has also been shown to increase circulation and nutrient flow throughout the body.
