6 Health Benefits of Having a Daily Fitness Routine
At MD Now Urgent Care, we’re focused on helping people live healthy lives. One of the best lifestyle choices for personal health is starting an exercise routine. Everyone knows that the health benefits of exercise include fat loss and muscle building, but there are countless other reasons to burn some calories on a regular basis.
1. More Regular and Restorative Sleep
If you find yourself lying awake at night or feeling tired during the day, exercise might be exactly what you need. Research has demonstrated that people fall asleep quicker and get more restorative sleep when they have exercised during the day.
It’s easy to see why exercise benefits those with sleep problems. It gives your energy levels a boost for the day, but you’ll also find that you’re actually tired when it’s time to go to bed because you’ve been so active. In addition, exercise promotes a healthy balance of hormones in the body, reducing the likelihood of developing a sleep disorder.
2. Injury Prevention
We see countless sprains, strains, and twists here at MD Now Urgent Care, and many of these injuries are sustained in the course of everyday activities like climbing stairs and lifting groceries out of the car. You can dramatically reduce the odds of such injuries by taking up regular exercise. After all, you’re less likely to throw out your back if you’ve strengthened it with weight training and squats, and you probably won’t twist an ankle if you’ve been running a few miles every week.
Exercise also prevents injuries by increasing bone density. Weight training is known to hasten the activities of osteoblasts, or bone-building cells. The osteoblasts respond to the rigors of weight lifting by making the bones denser and, as a result, the bones are less likely to fracture under impact or heavy loads.
3. Improved Social Life
If you’re looking for a new way to meet people, exercise could be the answer. You’ll encounter people at the gym, your spinning class, on the biking trails, or wherever your physical activity takes you. Plus, you already know that you’ll share a common interest with these people, and that gives you an easy icebreaker for conversation.
In addition, exercise will give you interesting things to talk about at social gatherings. Whether it’s a story from your latest cycling trip or an anecdote about weightlifting routines, you’ll have plenty of stories to keep the conversation moving. Exercising will also improve your self-confidence, so you’ll find it easier than ever to get out and make new friends.
4. Better Emotional Health
The benefits of physical activity extend to your emotions as well. Exercise has been shown to trigger the release of endorphins, the brain hormones that are responsible for feelings of euphoria. This phenomenon has been dubbed the “runner’s high” since it’s commonly experienced after jogging, but any sustained cardiovascular exercise can have the same effect.
There are long-term exercise health benefits as well. Studies have shown that regular exercise stimulates the growth of new neural cells in the brain. When this growth occurs in the hippocampus, which is largely responsible for regulation of moods, it can lessen the symptoms of depression and anxiety.
5. Reduced Risk of Diabetes
Complications from diabetes are frequently the cause of disabilities and preventable deaths. Fortunately, you can lower your risk of developing diabetes by taking up regular physical activity. This will make your muscle cells more efficient at absorbing glucose from the bloodstream, thereby reducing the likelihood of overtaxing your endocrine system.
The research shows that even light exercise can be helpful for those who are at risk of developing diabetes. However, more vigorous and frequent exercise will deliver proportionally greater results.
6. Increased Brain Function
Researchers at Boston University School of Medicine have discovered links between physical fitness and improved memory. The study showed that participants with good aerobic health performed better on memory exercises. It’s believed that the hormonal reactions associated with exercise facilitate the growth of new cells in areas of the brain responsible for memory.
Furthermore, exercise increases blood flow so that oxygen and glucose—important fuels for the brain—are delivered in greater amounts. The increased circulation sharpens your thinking in the period following exercise. This means that a morning jog before work could improve your problem-solving skills and make you more productive.
The health benefits of exercise are numerous, and researchers are constantly discovering new ones. Everyone can live happier and healthier lives by making regular exercise a part of their routine. The medical experts at MD Now recommend that you bring some of these health benefits to your life by taking up an exercise regimen today.
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MD Now® Urgent Care Walk-In Medical Centers is the leading provider of fast and affordable urgent care to adults and children in Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami-Dade counties. Our state-of-the-art, walk-in medical centers are open seven days a week to deliver an affordable and convenient alternative to long emergency room wait times and the limited hours of family physicians. No appointment is necessary and major insurance plans are accepted. In addition to providing a comprehensive range of urgent care services to treat a variety of illnesses and injuries, our multiple locations offer digital x-rays, EKG, lab testing, physicals, immunizations, vaccines, occupational medicine, travel medicine and selected primary care services. Find the medical care you need with the convenience you want at MD Now. Online: www.MDNow.com.