“Those who do not find time for exercise will have to find time for illness.”– Earl of Derby
Think of the reasons you exercise… It may be to lose weight, tone up, get fitter or increase muscular strength. Now think again… The reasons stated before will of course be important to you, but things such as reducing blood pressure, controlling body fat, minimising cholesterol and keeping your body functioning are far more important in the long run. We may not necessarily always think about these things, but these are the things that help to keep us healthy.
Take your heart… Exercise can reduce your risk as heart disease and strokes, whereas non-exercisers are twice as likely to suffer from these conditions. The trend between exercise and blood pressure shows that high blood pressure can be reduced through being active. It can also help prevent high blood pressure, so before yours gets to high, think about doing more exercise as a preventative measure.
Your bones and joints will benefit from regular moderate exercise. Those who don’t exercise are more likely to suffer from aches and pains, especially back pain, as a result of being inactive. Low impact exercise can have huge benefits to those who suffer from these sorts of aches and pains in the long run. Things such as walking and swimming are suggested to help ease these pains.
If you suffer with stress, panic attacks or anxiety disorders, exercise can help treat and also prevent symptoms. There are some studies that suggest exercise is just as effective in treating stress etc. as treatments and medicine, however this would be individual to each person and some people will react better to certain things than others. So next time you are feeling stressed and need an excuse to leave the office early, book some time in to do some exercise, it really does have its benefits!
Steffi Davies – Level 3 Personal Trainer