The 12 reasons to exercise and all its benefits

There are people who exercise physically exercising as part of their daily routine. Most athletes say that exercising feels very good to them and that they would not know how to live without this activity.

On the other side of the coin are people who, when thinking about the idea of ​​exercising, become enormously lazy and feel tired before starting. But why?

In this article this and many other questions about physical activity will be answered. Also, we are going to see what are the best reasons to exercise and we will know all its benefits.

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The 12 best reasons to be physically active

There are many reasons to exercise regularly. Many people who do not practice any type of physical activity, and even the majority who do, are unaware of many of the good reasons there are.

Next we will see the most important reasons for physical activity, and we will realize something; not only are there great properties and benefits of exercise based on physical health.

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1. Improves health

This reason should be in the first place. Exercising regularly prevents and very significantly delays the development of all kinds of diseases. We highlight vascular diseases, diabetes and some types of cancer. In addition, it slows aging.

What is also relevant is that it is not only about an improvement in health on a physical level. Playing sports improves our quality of life on many levels, such as socially if we do sports with other people. Next we will also see very good reasons on a psychological level.

2. Improves mood

Exercising is an excellent way to improve our mood. It has been shown that when we exercise, and during the hours that follow, a series of substances are secreted in our brain that give us a sensation of pleasure. This makes us feel happier and we interact better with our loved ones.

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3. Helps manage stress

Being physically active has also been shown to help manage stress. Those who practice physical activity on a regular basis know this good reason very well, because if they do not exercise they feel more irritable. Having a space to dedicate to our body and mind is very beneficial. It allows us to disconnect from the demands of our day to day and continue with renewed energy.

4. We only need 20 minutes

It has been shown that by just walking 20 minutes we can enjoy a large number of benefits for our body. It is only necessary that it be followed, because after this time our body activates the metabolism to burn fat.

The fact that only 20 minutes of any activity is necessary makes for a lot of flexibility. It allows us to adapt physical activity a lot according to our availability of effective time and physical capacity.

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5. You can choose the activity, you are free!

There are so many ways to exercise, and we don't have to choose one specifically.. We have the possibility of doing the physical activity that we like the most or that best suits our personal situation. All exercise is good to give health to our body.

Walking, cycling, running, swimming or dancing are some that we can do individually, although there are also other options such as practicing team sports

6. It's free!

Yes, exercising is free in many cases. And in many others almost free. There are many runners who have become fond of running because they are not subject to anything, and this includes financial expenses. Well, only the sports shoes (unless you want to run barefoot, a modality that is gaining integers in recent times).

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7. Improves memory and reasoning ability

The benefits that our brain obtains represents another of the good reasons to exercise. Through experiments carried out in people over 60 years of age, it has been found that those who exercise for 6 months obtain better results in different cognitive tests. Scientific evidence shows that physical activity is good for preserving and enhancing our psyche.

8. Being sedentary is expensive (health and economic)

Many people who do not do physical activity feel lazy, and may come to look for excuses such as joining a gym is expensive. We've already seen that there are great ways to exercise without paying.

But it is that, in addition, sedentary lifestyle also has an economic cost. Not exercising is associated with more visits to the doctor, hospital admissions and use of drugs for various diseases.

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9. Fight excess weight and obesity

Playing sports helps us burn calories that we could otherwise accumulate in the form of fat in our body. We know that to maintain the figure it is essential to exercise. However, we must bear in mind that excess weight and obesity are associated with the development of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. Higher death rates are also associated with many types of cancer.

10. Strengthens bones

The food industry has bombarded us for generations in their marketing campaigns against osteoporosis. His solution, of course, is to drink a lot of dairy to ensure that there is calcium in our bones.

Well, exercising is a much greater protective factor than taking dairy to fight osteoporosis. Physical exercise increases and helps maintain bone mass, and it is that both muscles and bones become stronger to support more weight than normal.

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11. Improve our physical skills

By exercising we increase our strength, endurance, balance and flexibility. For example, if we do physical activity we will not feel so tired when going down and up stairs, or our heart rate will not change so much when we carry the shopping bags.

In the elderly this reason is especially important. For example, balance prevents falls, while flexibility helps with daily tasks such as tying shoelaces.

12. Energizes

We raised in the introduction of the article that there are many people who do not understand people who do sports on a daily basis. They don't understand how there are people who have the courage to go outside and exercise instead of staying on the couch.

For someone sedentary, the idea of ​​practicing some type of physical activity is very difficult. But those who exercise know, more or less consciously, everything that we have discussed so far.

Despite how illogical it may seem at first, a person who "got tired" doing sports will later have a more vital attitude. Performing physical activity gives extra energy and therefore quality of life. This is the main reason why athletes do not hesitate to don their sports shoes or swimming cap.

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Bibliographic references

• Folkins, C.H. and Sime, W.E. (nineteen eighty one). Physical fitness training and mental health. American Psychologist, 36 (4), 373-389.

• Marquez Sara, (1995). Psychological Benefits of Physical Activity. Rev. From Psicol. Gral. and App., 48 (1), 185-206.

• Taylor, C.B., Sallis, J.F. and Needle, R. (1985). The relation of physical activity and exercise to mental health. Public Health Rep, 100 (2), 195–202.