The Long-Term Benefits of Exercise | Medicinal Herb Store

The Long Term Benefits of Physical Activity:

In last week’s blog post, we looked at the short term benefits that increasing our physical activity can have upon our health. This week, I would like to explore the various ways that it can help us in the long term.

Weight loss:

One of the most well-known benefits of exercise is weight maintenance or loss. For those at a healthy weight, exercise can help with maintaining that weight. For those who are overweight, exercise can help to burn fat and lower BMI. The latest statistics show that two thirds (67%) of Australian adults are obese. Obesity is one of the leading causes of cancer, aside from a plethora of other health problems it can cause. This alone is a solid reason to increase physical activity.

While most people understand that exercising burns calories, it has the added benefit of increasing metabolism throughout the day, even after the exercise session is finished.

When exercising for weight loss, it is recommended that you exercise for at least 20 minutes (preferably more) three times a week or more. It is important to remember, though, that the most effective weight loss occurs when care is taken with both diet and exercise.

Better Blood Pressure and Cholesterol:

Physical activity can have long term benefits on blood pressure and cholesterol. In people who suffer from high blood pressure, the heart has to work harder to pump blood around the body. This can make them more likely to suffer from related illnesses.

Exercise strengthens the heart. This means it takes less effort for the heart to pump the blood. The force on the arteries decreases as a result, which means lower blood pressure.

Research also indicates that even moderate exercise can have a positive impact upon cholesterol levels. Some studies have shown that it can reduce LDL (bad cholesterol) readings by up to 10% and HDL (good cholesterol) readings by 3-6%

It might not seem like a particularly large amount, but when it is combined with the positive effect on blood pressure and weight loss, along with dietary changes, it can make a big difference to overall health.

Better Blood Sugar Control:

We looked last week at how exercise can have a positive effect on blood sugar readings in the short term. However, it also has a positive long-term effect on blood sugar levels.

When you regularly exercise, your body uses insulin more efficiently, which can help to lower blood sugar levels for up to 12 hours after exercising. This is because insulin sensitivity is increased, and the muscles are more effectively able to use any available insulin to uptake glucose, both during and after the physical activity.

Those who regularly exercise often have lower A1C results. A1C is a blood test that tells you your body’s average blood glucose levels over the past 2 to 3 months.

Having your blood sugars at a good, low level on a regular basis has the flow-on effect of reducing the risk of heart disease, as well as lowering the chance of complications associated with diabetes. .

According to a recent study, blood sugar levels peak around 90 minutes after a meal. Taking this into consideration, it is recommended to begin exercising half an hour after eating.

Improved Strength:

Regular exercise throughout life can reduce the risk of oesteoporosis. Physical activity increases bone mass, and can reduce the rate of bone loss in those who already suffer from oesteoporosis.

In older people, most bone fractures occur as the result of a fall. Building muscle strength through exercise also improves balance, which can reduce your chance of having a fall. If you do fall, it can lower your likelihood of sustaining a fracture, due to the increase in bone density.

As we age, we tend to naturally lose some muscle strength. However, just like our bones, we need to use our muscles regularly to maintain their strength. If we do not, we lose both muscle mass and strength.

Regular exercise builds up muscle size and strength, and can reverse or slow the decline in muscle mass which occurs with age. When muscles are worked, they pull on our bones. This stimulates the deposit of calcium into the bone, and the formation of new bone matter. Muscle and bone health are undeniably connected.

Regular exercise is one of the best things you can do for your health, both long-term and short-term. Along with a balanced diet, it can help you in ways you would never have imagined.

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