The Benefits of Regular Physical Activity

Want to reduce your risk of heart disease? 

Exercise.

The Mayo Clinic tells us that we all can benefit from exercise, no matter our age, size, sex or physical ability.

Exercise boosts high-density "good" cholesterol lipoprotein (HDL) while it decreases unhealthy triglycerides. This keeps your blood flowing smoothly, lowering your risk of cardiovascular diseases including high blood pressure and stroke. It helps maintain your blood sugar levels, decreasing your risk of diabetes and further reducing your chances of cardiovascular disease.

Physical activity burns calories and the more intense the activity, the more calories you burn.  Excess weight forces the heart to pump harder, increasing your risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol and heart disease.

Physical exercise stimulates the brain chemicals that can leave you feeling happier, more relaxed and less anxious. Regular exercise can improve your muscle strength and boost your endurance and, as your heart and lung health improves, you’ll have more energy.

Physical activity sends oxygen and nutrients to your tissues to help your cardiovascular system work better. As

Want to sleep better?  Regular exercise can not only help you fall asleep faster, you’ll enjoy deeper, more restful sleep.  Warning – don’t exercise too closely to bedtime or you’ll be too energized to go to sleep.

The American Heart Association recommends at least 150 minutes (2.5 hours) of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity or a combination of both preferably spread out throughout the week.

They also recommend adding in moderate-to high-intensity muscle-strengthening activity at least 2 days per week.

Children under five should be physically active and have plenty of opportunities to move throughout the day. Kids and teens six to 17 years old should get at least 60 minutes per day of moderate-to vigorous-intensity physical activity, mostly aerobic, with muscle- and bone-strengthening (weight-bearing) activities on at least 3 days per week.

If you aren’t hitting that target, you’re not alone, only about one in five adults and teens get enough exercise for maintaining good health.

Start by spending less time sitting. Even light-intensity activity can offset some of the risks of being sedentary. 

Increase the amount and intensity gradually over time, aim for being active at least 300 minutes (5 hours) per week.

Just by being more active – less sitting – you’ll start to see benefits such as better sleep.   Being more active helps you think and feel better and you’ll be able to perform your daily tasks more easily.  

Exercise can be enjoyable, yes, even fun.  Get out of the house and enjoy nature. Make friends with a pickleball player.  Exercise with friends or family or enroll in a class. Check out low or no cost gym options, many insurance companies or health plans offer incentives and discounts and see what your local Y or Salvation Army has to offer. 

If you don’t like it, try something else. 

A British study recruited participants to exercise through household chores. Ironing, dusting, mopping, vacuuming, washing the car, mowing the lawn, cleaning the windows and planting flowers were tested. To no surprise, only ironing and dusting missed the mark as moderate exercise, the rest qualified. So start tidying up to see those health benefits!

Back in 2018, Prevention posted 5 Reasons You Should Have Sex Tonight—For Your Heart Health, advice that sounds pretty good today!

It counts as cardio.  Who needs a treadmill if you can work up a sweat in the bedroom instead?  According to their research sex is a moderate-intensity aerobic exercise that can help strengthen your heart, lower your blood pressure and reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes all while burning 3 calories a minute.  A bedroom romp is also a great stress reliever and it will help you sleep better.

Even more good news? Regular physical activity may enhance arousal for women and men who exercise regularly are less likely to have ED problems than are men who don't exercise.

You’ve seen it in movies, tv and comics, a man in the middle of action suffers a massive heart attack. Nope.  The odds of a sex induced heart attack are slim; less than 1% of heart attacks are linked to intimate activity. In fact, a healthy sex life may lower your risk. A study of middle-aged men over a 16-year period found that those who had sex twice a week or more had a much lower risk of a heart attack than those who had sex once a month or less.

The research cited looked at healthy young and middle-aged men, your age and medical situation must be considered. 

Talk to your health care professional before starting any new activity or exercise routines, especially if it’s been a while since you were active or if you have chronic health problems, such as heart disease, diabetes or arthritis.