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A recent report by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that 36% of U.S. adults participated in no leisure-time physical activity in 2008. This means that more than 1/3 of all adults – approximately 78 million people in this country alone – are too lazy to do anything more strenuous than scratch themselves while being parked on the couch for hours at a time.

Really, that’s a shame. Because regular exercise offers so many incredible benefits beyond the obvious reasons related to burning calories and weight loss. And I’m not talking about spending two hours a day in the gym. Something as simple as a brisk 30-45 minute walk, four or five times a week, is enough to dramatically increase the quality and quantity of your years here on planet Earth.

Here are five not-so-obvious reasons why you’ll want to make sure you’re exercising regularly:

1. Exercise combats colds, chronic diseases, and helps you live longer

Research shows that regular exercise can boost your immune system and increase the circulation of natural killer cells that fight off viruses and bacteria. It can also improve the body’s response to the influenza vaccine. People who exercise use 25-50% less sick days than couch potatoes, and have fewer and less severe upper respiratory tract infections (e.g., colds and flu).

Regular physical activity has been shown to boost high-density lipoprotein (HDL – that’s the “good” cholesterol) while decreasing triglycerides, a type of fat found in your blood. This helps prevent the buildup of plaques in your arteries and keeps your blood flowing smoothly. In addition, the Wall Street Journal recently reported that regular exercise:

• lowers the risk of stroke by 27%
• can reduce the incidence of diabetes by 50% and high blood pressure by 40%
• can reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease by 40% and colon cancer by 60%
• has an anti-aging effect at the cellular level

2. Exercise can boost your brainpower

New research helps explain why regular exercise can improve your brain power. In a recent study using mice, scientists at the University of Cambridge found that those which exercised performed better on memory tests and grew more new cells in the hippocampus, a part of the brain linked to memory and learning. By the end of the experiment, the animals which exercised had more than twice as many new brain cells as those that did not!

3. Exercise makes you feel good

Physical activity delivers more oxygen and nutrients to your tissues and cells and helps your entire cardiovascular system work more efficiently. And feel-good endorphins released by your body during exercise can continue to provide a boost long after you’re done. This can help reduce stress, boost your energy level, and fight off depression.

According to the Mayo Clinic: “Physical activity stimulates various brain chemicals that may leave you feeling happier and more relaxed than you were before you worked out. You’ll also look better and feel better when you exercise regularly, which can boost your confidence and improve your self-esteem.”

(Remember, all we really want is to feel good.)

4. Exercise helps you sleep better

Studies have shown that regular physical activity can help you fall asleep faster and improve the quality of your sleep. Experts usually recommend that exercising too close to bed time can have the opposite effect. However, I’ve personally found that not to be true. I usually work out for about 45 minutes every evening, about an hour before bed time. And I’m normally asleep before my head hits the pillow.

5. Exercise enables you to eat more

OK, I admit it, I’m a bit of a glutton for tasty food and good beer, making this one of the main reasons I try to work out at least five times per week. Without regular exercise, those extra calories would quickly add up to extra pounds of flabby fat.

And speaking of pounds… remember that a pound of muscle burns more calories at rest than a pound of body fat. More muscle means a higher resting metabolic rate, so this means you’ll burn more calories when you’re sitting around doing nothing when you’re in shape. I think you’ll agree the reward is worth the effort.

Start Exercising Today!

If physical activity isn’t currently part of your routine, a good place to start is the Exercise is Medicine™ Public Action Guide, a “simple, fast and effective tool for using exercise as a ‘medicine’ to help prevent or manage many of the most common chronic health conditions.” Ask your doctor if there are any concerns before you get going. And when you’re ready to get going, start slowly and then build up to a more rigorous routine.

The important thing is to make the commitment to living better and getting started – today.

Sources:

• WebMD
• Mayo Clinic
• BBC
• Wall Street Journal

Tagged as: beer, diet, exercise, fitness, food, health, self improvement, sleep