 Where
to begin? Below you’ll find a list of the top health benefits
of exercise .
Heart: First of all, you know your heart is important.
Did you know it’s a muscle? That means that it needs to be
worked out just like your biceps or glutes in order to be in the
best
shape. By getting
down with aerobic exercise, which is what you might call a “cardio” workout,
you will do your heart a world of good. Aerobic exercise like running,
walking, swimming, cycling and other high-energy activities will
make your muscles use up your oxygen. This forces the heart to
pump all of the oxygen in your blood stream through your body and
this
really helps out your cardio-vascular system, especially your heart.
Your heart is really a major source of your health and as you get
older it will be crucial that it’s healthy. Heart disease
is the number one killer of Americans—men AND women too.
You can help prevent heart disease later on by keeping your heart
in
top
shape now.
Bones: Bone health is a big part of being a woman. Women
need to take great care of their bones in order to stay healthy
and strong
throughout life and to prevent osteoporosis. By doing exercises
that include some form of resistance for your muscles, like weight-training,
walking, hiking and running, you will build up your bones. Remember
that those bones you have now will be with you for your whole life,
and after a while you’ll be glad that you kept them healthy.
Reduce stress: Exercise reduces stress and can also lower your
blood pressure. There are so many ways that exercise helps to reduce
stress,
including “runner’s high,” relaxation and distraction.
Makes
you stronger: Obviously, exercise makes you stronger. By building
up certain muscles, you will notice that you can accomplish
certain
tasks much easier than you used to be able to. Remember that different
exercises work out different muscle groups. So, if you want to
get stronger arms, try rowing, swimming or weightlifting. If you
want
stronger legs, there is running, cycling and the step machine,
among many more! The more you exercise, the less trouble you’ll
have down the road when you’re exercising and the less risk
you’ll
have of getting injured.
Flex: By exercising your body and stretching
every time (it’s
really important to stretch before and after you exercise), you’ll
improve your body’s flexibility. There are certain exercises
that focus on flexibility and stretching, including yoga, Pilates
and T’ai Chi. When you are a little girl, you are really
flexible. As you get older, you lose a lot of that flexibility.
By stretching
your body, you will help to keep some of that flexibility from
when you were younger. Flexibility is important because it helps
to keep
you from getting injured during your workout and keeps your muscles
limber.
Weight control: Of course, being thin DOES NOT mean being
healthy. But, if you do feel like you have a weight problem, or
think that
you have the potential for gaining a lot of weight, then exercise
is a great way to keep those extra pounds off. Remember that if
you exercise too much just to lose weight, you could hurt your
body and
you might develop an eating disorder. Too much exercise at your
age isn’t necessarily a good thing.
Happiness: Exercising
gives you that “runner’s high” that
you might have heard about. This is a rush of endorphins, which
are chemicals that cause your brain to react in a positive, happy
way. Plus, exercising makes you feel more confident. If you feel
proud of yourself after a good workout, you’ll probably smile
more afterward. Plus, if you’re proud of your muscles, body
or physical fitness, then you will have higher self-esteem, which
makes you more comfortable in general.
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