What is exercise ?

Exercise

What is exercise?

Exercise is Exercise is any bodily activity that enhances or maintains physical fitness and overall health and wellness. It is performed for various reasons, to aid growth and improve strength, preventing aging, developing muscles and the cardiovascular system, honing athletic skills, weight loss or maintenance, improving health and also for enjoyment. Many individuals choose to exercise outdoors where they can congregate in groups, socialize, and enhance well -being.

Types of exercise

Aerobic: Aerobic exercise is the type ofmoderate-intensity physical activitythat you can sustain for more than just a few minutes with the objective of improving your cardiorespiratory fitness and your health. "Aerobic" means "in the presence of, or with, oxygen." Flexibility: Flexibilityis the range of motion in a joint or group of joints or the ability to move joints effectively through a complete range of motion.Flexibilitytrainingincludes stretching exercises to lengthen the muscles and may include activities like yoga or Tai Chi. Improving yourflexibilitycan help you move more comfortably throughout the day Anaerobic: Anaerobic exercise is a type of exercise that breaks down glucose in the body without using oxygen, as anaerobic means “without oxygen”. In practical terms, this means that anaerobic exercise is harder but shorter than aerobic exercise.

The major benefits of exercise

Top 10 benefits of exercise

(1) Exercisehas been shown to improve your mood and decrease feelings of depression, anxiety and stress .It produces changes in the parts of the brain that regulate stress and anxiety. It can also increase brain sensitivity for the hormones serotonin and norepinephrine, which relieve feelings of depression. (2) Exercise plays a vital role in building and maintaining strong muscles and bones. Physical activity like weight lifting can stimulate muscle building when paired with adequateprotein intake. This is because exercise helps release hormones that promote the ability of your muscles to absorb amino acids. This helps them grow and reduces their breakdown. (3) Exercise can be a real energy booster for healthy people, as well as those suffering from various medical conditions. One study found that six weeks of regular exercise reduced feelings of fatigue for 36 healthy people who had reported persistent fatigue. (4) Lack of regular physical activity is a primary cause of chronic disease. Regular exercise has been shown to improveinsulin sensitivity, cardiovascular fitness and body composition, yet decrease blood pressure and blood fat levels. In contrast, a lack of regular exercise, even in the short term can lead to significant increases in belly fat, which increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and early death. (5) While dieting, a reducedcalorie intakewill lower your metabolic rate, which will delay weight loss. On the contrary, regular exercise has been shown to increase your metabolic rate, which will burn more calories and help youlose weight. (6) Oxidative stress occurs when the body’s antioxidant defences cannot completely repair the damage that free radicals cause to cells. This can damage their internal structures and deteriorate your skin. Even though intense and exhaustive physical activity can contribute to oxidative damage, regular moderate exercise can increase your body’ s production of naturalantioxidants, which help protect cells. (7) Exercise can improve brain function and protect memory and thinking skills. To begin with, it increases your heart rate, which promotes the flow of blood and oxygen to your brain. It can also stimulate the production of hormones that can enhance the growth of brain cells. Moreover, the ability of exercise to prevent chronic disease can translate into benefits for your brain, since its function can be affected by these diseases. Exercise has been shown to cause the hippocampus, a part of the brain that’ s vital for memory and learning, to grow in size. (8) Regular exercise can help you relax andsleep better. In regards to sleep quality, the energy depletion that occurs during exercise stimulates recuperative processes during sleep. Moreover, the increase in body temperature that occurs during exercise is thought to improve sleep quality by helping it drop during sleep (9)A review of several studies indicates that exercise helps participants with chronic pain reduce their pain and improve their quality of life. (10) Exercise has been proven to boost sex drive. Engaging in regular exercise can strengthen the cardiovascular system, improve blood circulation, tone muscles and enhance

The importance of the warm up and the cool down

Warm up

A short warm-up stokes yourbloodflow and preps your body forexercise. Your muscles respond better to challenges if they're loose and warm. Warm-ups should take 5 to 10 minutes. You'll know you're done when you feel ready for more of a challenge.

Before cardio

Warm up with a slow-paced aerobic activity. Go for a walk, use a treadmill or elliptical trainer on a low setting, or bike at an easy pace. Start slow and gradually ramp up your pace and intensity.

Before strength training

Choose an easy cardio activity that warms up multiple muscles at once, such as treadmill walking, slowjogging, or easy pedaling on a stationary bicycle. Or home in on the specific muscle groups that you will be working for that session.

Cool down

Don't come to an abrupt stop after vigorous exercise. That can make you feel lightheaded and dizzy. Cooling down keeps yourheart rateandblood pressurefrom dropping rapidly .

Slow cardio

Cap off your workout with 5 to 10 minutes of easy cardio. Just dial down the intensity of what you're doing, whether it's running, indoor cycling, or Zumba.

Stretching

Try ending every session withstretching, which boosts flexibility and may lower your risk of injury. Breathe into each stretch and don't bounce. Gentle stretches such as shoulder rolls and hip rolls are also perfect post-workout. Try chin drops, too: Lower your chin to your chest and hold for a count of five.