Download The Benefits of Exercise

Benefits of Exercise
Cardiovascular Benefits
•Reduces risk of heart disease (coronary
artery disease – atherosclerosis – fatty buildup
in coronary arteries).
•Reduces risk of developing high blood
pressure (hypertension).
•Improves circulation in the blood vessels that
feed the heart muscle (coronary circulation).
•Reduces vulnerability to abnormal heart
rhythms (cardiac arrhythmias)
•Lowers resting heart rate (resting number of
heart beats per minute)
•Increases circulating levels of the “good”
cholesterol (HDL or high density lipoprotein)
•Reduces circulating fats (triglycerides).
•Reduces blood thickness (blood viscosity)
•Increases the amount of blood plasma
•Reduces the medical complications
associated with high blood pressure
(hypertension).
•Increases the speed at which carbon dioxide
is removed from blood.
•Increases anaerobic threshold allowing
higher exercise intensity for longer periods of
time
•Improves respiratory muscle strength and
respiratory muscle endurance -- particularly
important for asthmatics.
Metabolism and Weight Control
•Improves the use of fat for energy during
physical activity.
•Helps to preserve lean body tissue.
•Assists in weight loss -- especially fat weight.
•Helps to maintain resting metabolic rate.
•Allows greater consumption of food, while
maintaining caloric balance
•Improves tissue sensitivity for insulin helping
to better control blood sugar
•Helps to maintain weight loss -- unlike dieting
alone
•Helps decrease your appetite -- a short-term
effect only.
•Increases the amount of blood pumped with
•Reduces abdominal obesity -- a significant
•Reduces risk coronary thrombosis (blood clot
•Helps to burn excess calories
•Protects against "creeping obesity” (gaining
each heart beat (stroke volume)
in a coronary artery)
•Improves the heart’s pumping action (more
efficient pump).
•Reduces risk of stroke (a blockage or rupture
of a blood vessels in the brain)
•Improves the chance of
survival from a heart
attack (myocardial infarction)
health risk factor
weight slowly over a long period of time)
•Increases the number mitochondria (the
energy making part of the cell) in muscle cells.
•Reduces risk of developing Type II diabetes
•Helps reduce the amount of insulin required
•Decreases need for high blood pressure
to control blood sugar level in Type I (insulindependent) diabetics.
Cardiorespiratory
Endurance Changes
Neuromuscular and
Skeletal Benefits
medication
•Lowers heart-rate response to moderate
exercise
•Increases maximal oxygen uptake (VO2 max)
during maximum exertion exercise
•Increases muscles' ability to take oxygen from
blood.
•Reduces risk of developing osteoporosis
•Reduces lower-back problems and helps
alleviate low-back pain.
•Improves pain tolerance in osteoarthritis
•Maintains or improves joint flexibility
•Increases the density and breaking strength
of ligaments and tendons
•Increases muscle endurance
•Increases muscle strength
•Increases bone density
•Slows the rate of joint degeneration in
osteoarthritis
•Provides protection against injury (because
of increase in bone and muscle strength)
•Increases cartilage thickness
Stress Management Benefits
•Helps reduce stress reactivity (how quickly
one responses to a stressor)
•Reduces level of anxiety and helps you to
relax
•Improves sleep (increases delta wave sleep)
•When exercising, worries are not as
bothersome or anxiety producing.
•Helps reduce stress caused by unfitness
•Helps to relieve and prevent "migraine
Benefits to General
Fitness and Well-Being
•Assists in smoking secession
•Helps a person combat substance abuse
•Improves jet lag symptoms
•Helps reduce medical and health-care
expenses
•Psychosomatic symptoms are lessened
(“the
mind making the body sick”)
•Improves recovery from physical exertion
•Increases work productivity
•Improves overall quality of life
•Helps to increase overall health awareness
•Helps to maintain an independent lifestyle.
•Reduces work days missed due to illness
•Increases energy
•Improves your physical appearance
•Helps to reduce PMS (pre-menstrual
syndrome)
•Improves your general mood state.
•Helps relieve the pain of tension headaches --
•Increases blood flow to skin for cooling.
•Improves heat tolerance.
•Increases adaptability to cold environments.
•Helps lessen symptoms of depression
Mental Functioning
headache attacks.”
perhaps the most common type of headache
•Helps improve short-term memory in older
Immune Response Benefits
•Improves immune response
•Increases circulating levels of white blood
cells during and following aerobic exercise
•Increases circulating levels of the immuno-
stimulants interferon and interlukin-2 (these
increase the action of white blood cells)
•Reduces risk of breast cancer.
•Reduces risk of prostate cancer.
•Helps the body resist upper-respiratory tract
infections (colds, etc).
•Reduces risk of colon cancer.
individuals
•Helps to boost creativity
•Improves mental cognition -- a short-term
effect only
•Improves self-esteem.
•Improves mental alertness.
•Increases nerve cell branching (NTGH) in
certain areas of the brain