The Health Benefits of Exercising Regularly

by Natalie Belford

health benefits of exercise

We all know that working out makes us look good. It gets rid of fat, tightens our body and makes us look healthy and strong. But how about the health benefits of exercising? Here are some points that’ll motivate you to even more to exercise everyday. Excess weight has been linked to 20 percent of all cancer deaths among U.S. women and 14 percent among U.S. men, for a total of 90,000 cancer deaths per year, including cancers of the breast, uterus, kidney, esophagus, gallbladder, colon, and rectum.

  • In one study, the heaviest women had cancer death rates that were 6 percent higher than women of normal weight, while the heaviest men’s cancer death rates were 52 percent higher than their normal-weight counterparts.
  • In 2000, the Centers for Disease Control found that some 65 percent of U.S. adults were above a healthy weight, while 31 percent were obese (25 percent heavier than a healthy weight).
  • Inactivity is one of the top four risks for heart disease, along with smoking, unhealthy cholesterol levels, and high blood pressure.
  • Exercise helps lower low-density lipoproteins (LDL cholesterol), which tend to stick to the sides of blood vessels and interrupt blood flow, causing heart attack or stroke.
  • Exercise helps raise high-density lipoproteins (HDL or “good” cholesterol), which tend to carry cholesterol away to the liver for eventual removal.
  • People with an active lifestyle have a 45 percent lower risk of developing coronary heart disease than people with a sedentary lifestyle, and a 35 percent lower risk of developing hypertension.
  • Exercise helps prevent and/or combat diabetes, joint problems, osteoporosis, gastro-intestinal problems, and cancer.
  • Exercise can raise the levels of such brain chemicals as endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine—neurotransmitters that help produce a sense of well-being, reduce anxiety and depression, and create a balanced sleep-wake cycle.

More workout videos to check out:

  1. The Real Benefits of Strength Training
  2. Why Good Sleep Can Improve Your Fitness Levels
  3. Best Pregnancy Exercise Videos – Recommended Pregnancy Workout Videos