Benefits of Cardiovascular Exercise
Daily exercise is the key role in reducing your risk of numerous medical problems and exorbitant healthcare costs. Did you know that NOT exercising has the equivalent impact on your health as smoking a pack and a half of cigarettes a day! With 30% of people sitting sedentary these days, America is leading the obesity epidemic.
Having the right cardio fitness program, combined with “Chemical Free” nutrition is a great recipe not only for fat loss, but a host of other health benefits that can change your life for the better! So, get your sneakers on and get moving in some way – every day!
Remember, you don’t have to go fast – you just have to GO!
I have this quote I tell my students:
“When You Move – it Melts; When You Sit – it Stays! Then it turns to Sludge and is hard to Budge!”
This is what getting off your butt will do for you!
- Burn Calories: Your body heats up quickly when you exercise, so increased exercise increases calories used.
- Burns Fat: Aerobic exercise greatly increases the body’s functional capacity to transport and use oxygen and to burn fatty acids for energy production.
- Increases Metabolism: Energy is produced, used, and given off as heat in the breakdown of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Energy storage and energy usage is related to your physical activity.
- Releases “Feel-Good Hormones”: Exercise delivers more oxygen to the brain, reduces brain fog, and triggers the release of mood enhancing chemicals (endorphins & serotonin) thus helping decrease headaches, depression, anxiety, and stress.
- Improves Heart Function: Exercise strengthens the heart muscle which improves blood circulation, lowers resting heart rate, and reduces blood pressure. Strong conditioned hearts beat more slowly because they are able to pump more blood with each stroke, thus reducing the strain on the heart and blood vessels.
- Improves Lung Function – Exercising the muscles surrounding the lungs increases their strength and efficiency, allowing your lungs to extract more Conditioned lungs are able to inhale more air, sustain the process longer, and exhale more carbon dioxide, resulting in greater vital capacity, easier breathing, and improved endurance. Further, when fat is burned, it mostly converts to carbon dioxide and is excreted from the body through breath, thus THE LUNGS are the primary excretory organ for fat!!
- Improves Triglycerides and Cholesterol levels: Triglycerides are fats (from the foods we eat) that are carried in the blood. Elevated levels of triglycerides and LDL (Low Density Lipoproteins -sticky, waxy build up) are a risk factor for atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). Consistent exercise lowers fatty acids levels in the blood and decreases LDL cholesterol (the LOUSY kind that gets stuck on artery walls), raises HDL (High Density Lipoproteins- the Happy kind that helps clear cholesterol from the blood).
- Improves Blood Glucose Levels (reduces risk of Insulin Resistance and Diabetes): Glucose is an important nutrient needed for energy usage in the body. It is either used as fuel or stored in your muscles or liver (as glycogen) for later. However, poor breakdown or absorption leaves glucose hanging around in your bloodstream instead being transported into your cells for work, creating all kinds of havoc (neuropathy, retinopathy, heart & kidney disease)! Exercise results in improved insulin sensitivity because it causes the muscles to take up more glucose, leaving less of it to circulate in the bloodstream, thus lowering excess blood sugar levels.
- Improves Sleep: Sleep is an essential component in a healthy lifestyle. Not only does REM sleep allow you to feel alert and energetic, it is vital for restoring your body: repairing skin and tissue, building bones and muscle and strengthening your immune system. Moderate to Intense Aerobic Exercise is known to improve not only the quality and duration of sleep, but vitality, mood and weight loss!
- Reduces Risk of Osteoporosis: Weight- bearing Exercise (walking, jogging, dancing, etc) promotes bone mineral density, thereby lowering the risk of bone fractures.
- Weight Loss: (your favorite words!) Exercise is an appetite suppressant. It increases your metabolic rate, burns fat, increases lean muscle mass and improves self esteem!
- Improved Sexual Performance: (your other favorite words!) Increased blood flow and circulation improves ALL vital areas of the body, including libido! Strength, endurance, and increased sensitivity are all in your favor!! If this alone is your motivator- let this be one of your favorite exercises for exceptional health!Please stay tuned next month for more Happy & Healthy Ways to Exercise
Your Muscles and Your Mind!