1. It can make you feel happier Exercise has been shown to improve your mood and decrease feelings of depression, anxiety, and stress (2Trusted Source).
It produces changes in the parts of the brain that regulate stress and anxiety. It can also increase brain sensitivity for the hormones serotonin and norepinephrine, which relieve feelings of depression (3Trusted Source).
Additionally, Exercise can increase the production of endorphins, which are known to help produce positive feelings and reduce the perception of pain (Trusted Source3Trusted Source). Furthermore, Exercise has been shown to reduce stress and improve symptoms of anxiety (3Trusted Source).
Interestingly, it doesn’t matter how intense your workout is. It seems that your mood can benefit from exercise no matter the intensity of the physical activity.
A study in 24 women who had been diagnosed with depression showed that exercise of any intensity significantly decreased feelings of depression (4Trusted Source). The effects of exercise on mood are so powerful that choosing to exercise (or not) even makes a difference over short periods.
One review of 19 studies found that active people who stopped exercising regularly experienced significant increases in symptoms of depression and anxiety, even after only a few weeks (5Trusted Source). 2. It can help with weight loss. Some studies have shown that inactivity is a significant factor in weight gain and obesity (6Trusted Source, 7Trusted Source).
To understand the effect of exercise on weight reduction, it is essential to understand the relationship between exercise and energy expenditure.
Your body spends energy in three ways:
digesting food, exercising maintaining body functions like your heartbeat and breathing. While dieting, a reduced calorie intake will lower your metabolic rate, which can delay weight loss. On the contrary, regular exercise has been shown to increase your metabolic rate, burning more calories to help you lose weight (Trusted Source6Trusted Source, 7Trusted Source, 8Trusted Source).
Additionally, studies have shown that combining aerobic exercise with resistance training can maximize fat loss and muscle mass maintenance, which is essential for keeping the weight off (9Trusted Source, 10Trusted Source, 11Trusted Source). 3. It is suitable for your muscles and bones. Exercise plays a vital role in building and maintaining strong muscles and bones.
Activities like weightlifting can stimulate muscle building when paired with adequate protein intake.
This is because exercise helps release hormones that promote the ability of your muscles to absorb amino acids. This helps them grow and reduces their breakdown (12Trusted Source, 13Trusted Source).
As people age, they tend to lose muscle mass and function, leading to an increased risk of injury. Practicing regular physical activity is essential to reducing muscle loss and maintaining strength as you age (14Trusted Source).
Also, Exercise helps build bone density when you’re younger, in addition to helping prevent osteoporosis later in life (15Trusted Source).
Interestingly, some research suggests that high-impact Exercise, such as gymnastics or running, or odd impact sports, such as soccer and basketball, may help promote a higher bone density than non-impact sports like swimming and cycling (16Trusted Source). 4. It can increase your energy levels. Exercise can be a natural energy booster for many people, including various medical conditions (17Trusted Source, 18Trusted Source).
One older study found that six weeks of regular exercise reduced feelings of fatigue for 36 people who had reported persistent fatigue (19).
Furthermore, exercise can significantly increase energy levels for people with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and other serious illnesses (20Trusted Source, 21Trusted Source).
Exercise seems to be more effective at combating CFS than other treatments, including passive therapies like relaxation and stretching or no treatment at all (20Trusted Source).
Additionally, Exercise has been shown to increase energy levels in people with other conditions like cancer (21Trusted Source). 5. It can reduce your risk of chronic disease Lack of regular physical activity is a primary cause of the chronic disease (22Trusted Source).
Regular exercise has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity, heart health, and body composition. It can also decrease blood pressure and cholesterol levels (23Trusted Source, 24Trusted Source, 25Trusted Source, 26Trusted Source).
In contrast, a lack of regular exercise — even in the short term — can lead to significant increases in belly fat, which may increase the risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease (22Trusted Source).
That’s why regular physical activity is recommended to reduce belly fat and decrease the risk of developing these conditions (27Trusted Source). 6. It can help skin health. Your skin can be affected by the amount of oxidative stress in your body.
Oxidative stress occurs when the body’s antioxidant defenses cannot completely repair the cell damage caused by compounds known as free radicals. This can damage the structure of the cells and negatively impact your skin.
Even though intense and exhaustive physical activity can contribute to oxidative damage, regular moderate exercise can increase your body’s production of natural antioxidants, which help protect cells (28Trusted Source, 29Trusted Source).
In the same way, Exercise can stimulate blood flow and induce skin cell adaptations that can help delay the appearance of skin aging (30Trusted Source).
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