For the past week in England, I got to witness some of the world’s best athletes at their craft up close and personal at the just concluded Commonwealth Games and I can safely say that exercise is definitely the best medicine.
It is like these athletes have taken a ‘super pill’. Not only are they among the fastest, strongest and fittest people in the world, but they do look younger, happier and healthier than the average person their age. Scientists are learning that exercise is, actually, medicine and that there is no pill that comes close to what exercise can do. You probably already know that exercise is good for you and you probably heard that it is healthy for your heart. But knowing that may not be enough motivation to get you exercising with any regularity.
Some studies suggest that the large majority of the world’s population do not get the recommended 150 minutes of strength and cardiovascular physical activity per week. That’s bad news, but emerging evidence shows that there are plenty of compelling reasons to start moving at any age and even if you’re overweight, unhealthy or pregnant. Here are some:
You may get happier when you exercise
Quite a few studies suggest that many types of exercise, from walking to cycling, make people feel better and can even relieve symptoms of depression. Exercise triggers the release of chemicals in the brain—serotonin, norepinephrine, endorphins, dopamine—that dull pain, lighten mood and relieve stress.
Your fat cells will shrink
The body uses both carbohydrates and fats as energy sources. But after consistent aerobic exercise training, the body gets better at burning fat, which requires a lot of oxygen to convert it into energy. One of the benefits of exercise training is that our cardiovascular system gets stronger and better at delivering oxygen, so we are able to metabolize more fat as an energy source. As a result, your fat cells—which produce the substances responsible for chronic low-grade inflammation—shrink, and so does inflammation.
It’ll make your skin look better
Aerobic exercise revs up blood flow to the skin, delivering oxygen and nutrients that improve skin health and even help wounds heal faster. That’s why when people have injuries, they should get moving as quickly as possible—not only to make sure the muscle doesn’t atrophy, but to make sure there’s good blood flow to the skin.
