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You know exercise can help you lose weight, but did you know that exercising can also increase your energy levels, help improve your mood and lower the risk of some diseases?
Exercise benefits every part of the body. It causes the body to produce chemicals that can help a person feel more peaceful and happy, and can even promote better sleep. People who exercise burn more calories and look more toned than those who do not. It also helps people lose age better.
“Exercise is truly the best medication I can provide patients,” said David Weldy, a family physician from Toledo. “Eating is the input of calories. Exercise is the output side of the same coin; therefore, you should probably spend as much time exercising as you do eating and you should do some of it every day, just like you eat every day.”
According to the Ohio Academy of Family Physicians, building regular exercise into your day:
• Reduces your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, diabetes and obesity;
• Keeps joints, tendons and ligaments flexible;
• Reduces some of the effects of aging including age-related dementia and Alzheimer’s disease;
• Contributes to mental well-being and helps treat depression;
• Helps relieve stress and anxiety;
• Increases your energy;
• Helps you sleep better;
• Helps you maintain a normal weight;
Get started by talking with your family physician about a regimen that may work for you. Begin with 10-minutes of light exercise or a brisk walk every day and gradually increase how hard you exercise and for how long.
“When you begin a new exercise regimen, start slowly and build up gradually,” suggests Weldy.
Increase your chance of sticking with your exercise program by choosing something you like to do, exercising with a friend, varying your routine so you are less likely to get bored and choosing a time of day that works for you. You can also read or listen to music to make it more fun.
Don’t see results? It can take weeks or months before you notice some of the changes from exercise, but do not give up, Welty advises.
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