Why Exercise is so Important for Your Physical & Mental Wellbeing

This January, we’re reflecting on the importance of exercise – and how we can do it more often.

Are you moving less due to hybrid or home working? Perhaps your joints are feeling a little bit stiffer as a result, or you’re struggling to maintain your energy levels during the day, and need a regular coffee or tea to pick you up?

Exercise is a different experience for everyone. Some love it, and others struggle with it. However, no matter where you are on the exercise spectrum right now, it’s always good to be reminded about the incredible all-round benefits that exercise can have on your general health and wellbeing.

Whether you want to fit more exercise into your schedule, have fallen off the training plot completely, or are looking to start from scratch, reviewing these benefits will hopefully motivate you to put your trainers on and head out the front door.

Extensive research has shown that regular exercise gives us all-round support to our health, both mentally and physically – so, what are you waiting for?

Exercise for your physical health

Exercise keeps your immune system in tip-top form, helping to fight off infection by boosting the circulation of white blood cells and flushing bacteria from your lungs and airways.

The World Health Organization reports that those who exercise more often have lower rates of all causes of mortality, including coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and colon and breast cancer.

Taking regular exercise will strengthen your bones and joints and help keep your musculoskeletal system in optimum condition, supporting posture and balance and reducing aches and pains.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, inactivity can worsen arthritis symptoms, increase lower back pain, lead to depression and anxiety, and cause skin issues.

Exercise for weight control

Regular exercise will boost and regulate your metabolism and help you maintain a healthy weight.

Exercise to improve your sleep

Studies have shown that exercise reduces mental fatigue and improves sleep, which in turn is critically important for cell repair, the healthy functioning of the immune system, and mental and physical health.

Exercise for your mental health

Exercise has significant benefits for emotional and mental health. It increases the release of mood-boosting chemicals in your brain, such as serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin, which all ease pain and increase a sense of mental wellbeing. Dancing, for example, has been shown to increase oxytocin, promoting social connection and bonding.

All exercise, including the gentler forms, such as tai-chi or yoga, can help reduce circulating stress hormones, such as cortisol and adrenaline. Tai-chi and yoga also include a mind-body element, and, along with breathing exercises, are a great way to promote mindfulness while working out.

A famous Duke University study (1999) found that depressed adults who did 45 minutes of aerobic exercise three times a week improved mood as much as those who took antidepressants instead of exercising.

Other research studies have linked exercise to improved memory, quicker learning, and delayed onset of Alzheimer’s.

Exercise to slow down the ageing process

Research is showing that exercise appears to hold back ageing at the cellular level by slowing down the ageing process of brain cells, restoring, repairing, and fixing things that are broken. It also increases levels of a molecule that protects telomeres (the protective caps on the end of chromosomes).

The World Health Organisation advises 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week.

That’s just over 20 mins per day; along with muscle strengthening exercises two or more times per week.

This amount of time commitment to exercise is apparently the ‘sweet spot’ for health benefits. For some of us, this may seem quite a lot to achieve, but remember this includes ALL exercise such as walking, housework, gardening, washing the car, etc.

If you include intense forms of exercise, such as high-intensity interval training (HIIT), then you will require less time commitment – just 75 minutes per week to hit to the ‘sweet spot’ and reap the health benefits of regular exercise.

Try and include two types of exercise in your week:

Every journey starts with a single step

Discover, grow, explore, and accept change as part of your training/exercise journey. Consistency is key and regular exercise is best, even if it’s small and often. Just keep exercising – the more you do it, the more easily you’ll incorporate regular exercise into your daily life as a habit. If you fall off your routine, don’t worry – it happens to all of us! Just get back on track as soon as you can for a healthier, happier life!