There are many health benefits to doing regular exercise – including relieving the symptoms of stress, diabetes, high blood pressure and so on. If you suffer from one of the following a regular workout may help:
- Lack of Energy
- Poor Circulation
- Stress
- Arthritis
- Weak joints
- Osteoporosis
- Cardiovascular disease including heart attacks and blood vessel disease.
- High Blood Pressure
- Depression and Anxiety
- Smoking
- General Lung Conditions
- Asthma
- Diabetes
- Under-active Thyroid
Diabetes Type 2 Under-active Thyroid
Regular Exercise can help with any problems with diabetes or an under-active thyroid, and, combined with weight loss, can reverse Diabetes Type 2!
Regular exercise is the best way to prevent type 2 diabetes and helps to prevent complications if you have it. Insulin is recognised in the body and used more efficiently. Regular exercise supports weight loss which promotes better control of blood sugars and lowers cholesterol.
Check if thyroid under or overactive. Most ladies suffer from under-active thyroid which affects weight, mood and reduces metabolism. Ladies with this condition are more liable to gain weight and suffer secondary problems caused by obesity. Building muscle through strength training can counteract these effects by raising metabolism
Lack of energy
Regular exercise boosts energy levels and encourages you to be generally more active. It makes you feel better afterwards and you are likely to then go and do more, which, in turn, will give you more energy!
Poor Circulation
Regular exercise helps circulation. It increases blood flow and gets the heart pumping blood around your body faster delivering oxygen and nutrients to all the cells of your body making everything stronger and healthier including skin, hair and nails. SO, forget the expensive collagen supplements – just do regular exercise!
Stress
Chronic or long-term stress increases levels of harmful hormones (cortisol). This, in turn, increases your appetite and cravings for unhealthy food, leading to weight gain, especially around the middle, causing longer term issues like diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Happy hormones (Endorphins) created through exercise, help to eat up harmful hormones caused by stress and prevent them being deposited around the body in the form of fat. You are happier generally and happier about your shape and weight – you can’t go wrong!
Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis
Your regular workout should include strength training, which increases the strength in the muscles. Joints are meant to do the movement but muscles are designed to take the strain. If your muscles are weak then your joints start taking the strain! Strong muscles will protect the joints and act as shock absorbers, providing more internal protection against pressure and strain. Managing weight helps to alleviate the burden on back, knees and hip joints.
Regular exercise which includes strength training (at least twice a week) :
- Eases arthritic joint pain and stiffness
- Improves joint flexibility and enhances joint lubrication
- Manages weight which decreases pressure on knees and hips in osteoarthritis
- Improves balance and reduces risk of falls produces body’s own painkillers (endorphins) which also boosts moodIncreases general health and flexibility
- Combats fatigue, improves function and keeps you more active.protects joints and bones.
Osteoporosis and Osteopenia
Strength Training is the answer to a lot of things in the body because it was designed with work in mind! To prevent osteoporosis (crumbling bones or low bone density) and osteopenia – borderline osteoporosis – you have to keep the bones strong. The answer to that is … you guessed it … Strength Training! Doing strength training regularly :
- Stimulates cells that build bone so increases bone density
- Improves strength and balance
- Reduces the risk of fractures
- Improves function and keeps you more active.
- Protects joints and bones.
Cardiovascular disease (heart attacks, stroke and blood vessel disease)
Regular cardio exercise, which MUST include a gentle start is essential in keeping your heart and cardiovascular system healthy and efficient and free of blockages. Cardio exercise, especially HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) :
- Increases heart efficiency
- Increases oxygen in blood
- Improves the muscles ability to draw oxygen from the circulating blood which reduces the need for the heart – a muscle itself – to work harder to pump more blood to muscles
- Manages weight, which in turn reduces High Blood Pressure, bad cholesterol in blood, blood sugar levels. (All major causes of cardiovascular disease)
In addition, regular Strength Training will promote loss of body fat, which reduces cholesterol and improves body composition.
High Blood Pressure
One of the causes of high blood pressure, according to the NHS website is – not enough exercise! High cholesterol and diabetes are also known causes of high blood pressure and regular exercise helps to prevent those. Regular exercise works like a betablocker medication :
- Reduced body fat improves body composition and helps reduce cholesterol
- Reduced bad cholesterol minimises blocked arteries and thus reduces blood pressure.
- Reducing blood pressure reduces the risk of heart attacks and stroke (cardiovascular disease).
- Blood pressure is lowered as weight is reduced.
Depression and anxiety
If you are suffering all in with depression or anxiety exercise can help:
- Endorphins from exercise counteract the hormones that cause depression.
- It makes you feel empowered by taking steps to improve health.
- It gives you a more positive body image.
- Research shows that strength training reduces anxiety.
- Energy is boosted and gives better sleep.
Smoking
Smoking reduces oxygen levels in the blood and lowers metabolism. Exercise counteracts this as it raises oxygen levels and metabolism, especially strength training. As happy hormones are released with exercise this has the potential to replace the feel good factor smoking provides.
General Lung Conditions
If you have any problems with breathing or asthma or COPD then exercise can help. Choose a workout that includes a gentle start and you will be giving your cardiovascular system the following :
- Stronger heart and lungs.
- Improved breathing.
- Improved fitness and stamina levels.
- Increased lung capacity.
- Boosted immune system (colds etc could trigger asthma).
- Weight loss (lessens symptoms).
- Less stress which could trigger asthma.
What can I do?
Either book a FREE Fitness consultation by calling the number below to find out the benefits of joining the gym and strength training. Or, you can do body-weight exercises at home on Zoom
