You have already heard time and time again that exercise is good for you, yet according to the US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health “less than 5% of adults participate in 30 minutes of physical activity each day…more than 80% of adults and adolescents do not meet the ACSM guidelines for aerobic and muscle- strengthening activities.” Why is that? One of the most cited reasons for individuals not engaging in physical activity is because they they do not see the benefit to change on their decisional balance scale. In today’s blog post, I want to address the many advantages of engaging in physical activity. This can range from physical activity controlling your weight, combating health conditions and diseases, as well as creating a social support with others to foster a healthy lifestyle for everyone.
BENEFIT NUMBER ONE: EXERCISE CAN HELP CONTROL WEIGHT
With obesity being such a huge epidemic in the US, knowing that exercise can help prevent excess weight is crucial to promote a healthy lifestyle. When engaging in physical activity individuals are burning calories. The more intense the activity the more calories you can burn. The ACSM guidelines state that adults should engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week. This can be split up into 30-60 minutes moderate-intensity exercise five days per week or 20-60 minutes of high intensity three days per week. As long as one is burning calories, they are controlling their weight!
BENEFIT NUMBER TWO: COMBAT HEALTH CONDITIONS AND DISEASE
Are you predisposed genetically to heart disease? High blood pressure? No matter your current status of weight, being physically activity promotes the HDL cholesterol (the good one as well as decreases the unhealthy triglycerides. Together, these both help our body keep our blood flowing, decreasing the risk of any cardiovascular disease and many other health problems. This includes: stroke, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, depression, anxiety.
BENEFIT NUMBER THREE: SOCIAL SUPPORT
Are there individuals in your life that are also in the same position as you? They also want to get healthy? Once you find the right exercise for you, engaging in physical activity with a friend, family member, or even someone you meet at the gym can become super fun and enjoyable. It gives you a chance to leave your house, unwind from the stress of work/school/life and just focus on yourself for a little bit. Secondly, it allows you to go meet like minded individuals who may be on the same journey. In doing so, you will find that you have created a social group that is there to support each other.
BOTTOM LINE:
Physical activity has too many benefits to continue to ignore it, as stated above, it can help you control your weight, prevent cardiovascular disease and other health problems… all while making news friends and social support groups. Get out there and start exercising, your time is NOW!
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