Let’s get moving!

You don’t need to have a great health to start exercising, but you need to start exercising to achieve great health

Nowadays, people are less active, partly because technology has made our lives easier. We entertain ourselves in front of television or computer. We move around less and burn off less energy than people used to.

Sedentary lifestyle is a type of lifestyle with no or irregular physical activity. Person who lives a sedentary lifestyle may be known as “Couch potato”. Sedentary lifestyle and lack of physical activity can contribute or be a risk factors of many diseases. These diseases includes:

• Cardiovascular diseases
• Diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Obesity
• Anxiety and Depression

What are the benefits?

Doing exercise and physical activity provides many health benefits. It can help us stay strong and fit, enough to keep doing our daily activities as we get older. Regular physical activity and exercise helps us improve our health and produces long term health benefits. It can reduce major illnesses, such as heart disease, diabetes, stroke and many more. Exercising and physical activity are two great key factors in losing weight. Working out can be beneficial for our mental health, relationships, and leads to a healthier and happier life.

• Prevent or Delay Disease – Staying physically active or exercising regularly can help prevent many diseases and disabilities. Being active boosts high density lipoprotein (HDL) known to be as “good cholesterol” and decrease triglycerides. Regular physical activity can help prevent health problems including stroke, diabetes, depression, metabolic syndrome and arthritis.
• Controls weight– Exercise can help us prevent weight gain, promote weight loss and helps keeping weight off after weight loss. When exercise becomes part of your daily life, you burn calories. The more intense activity, the more calories you burn. You don’t have to go to the gym to burn calories, simple ways like taking the stairs instead of elevator and doing your household chores.
• Reduce stress and manage mood– Exercise can help reduce stress and improve your mood. Being active on a daily basis help reduce the feeling of depression. Endorphins are classified to be the happy hormones. Any form of physical activity leads to the release of the feel good neurotransmitters. The increase in endorphins in your body leads to a feeling of euphoria (Intense feeling of happiness combined with overwhelming sense of contentment), modulation of appetite, release of different sex hormones and an enhancement of immune response. This helps combat the negative effects of stress. (stress.org.uk)
• Boost energy – Exercise and physical activity deliver oxygen and nutrients to tissues and help cardiovascular system work more efficiently.
• Promotes better sleep – Regular physical activity help you fall asleep faster and deepen your sleep. According to ADAA (Anxiety and Depression Association of America) exercise and other physical activity produce endorphins, chemicals in the brain that act as natural painkillers and also improve the ability to sleep, which in turn reduces stress.
• Exercise can improve sex life – Exercise may help beat erectile dysfunction. Also there is a strong link between obesity and erectile dysfunction. When blood pumps regularly, payoff is simple; endurance, more strength to hold positions and flexibility to hold in comfort.  People who exercise have a better body image and this can help them feel more sexually appealing.
• Promotes family bond and fun – Exercise and physical activity is one way to spend time with your family. You can enjoy outdoors or engage in activities that will make you happy. Joining a dance class, playing soccer or hiking can be a form of family bonding at the same time physical activity and burning calories are being done.

Physical activity vs Exercise

Physical activity includes activity of our daily life, such as gardening, walking the dog and taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Activities that get our body moving are one way to start being physically active.

Exercise is a form of physical activity that is specifically planned, structured and repetitive. It is done to improve at least one aspect of physical fitness that is, strength, flexibility or aerobic endurance.

Exercise and physical activity gain health benefits and promotes fun. Any amount of exercise is better than none. The more you move the higher the chance in burning calories. And doing proper exercise uplifts our mood and gives us energy to stay active.