Introduction
When you decide to start some sort of physical activity your intentions are meaningful. While these well-meaning ideas sound so promising, the majority will lose interest within a month or two. You may start a routine, but once it’s interrupted, momentum is usually lost, and you stop. This process of starting and stopping is repeated until you quit or find a solid routine and stick with it.
In this blog, I will list the benefits of physical activity to inspire you to continue once you secure a routine regularly.
Hint: Surprisingly, weight loss is not the main reason for physical activity. Weight loss is not a good motivator for physical activity.
First, find your why. Ask yourself the reason you want to exercise or develop a physical activity routine. If your major reason is to lose weight, sadly that may not be enough to keep you going.
The primary reason countless people stop exercising or lose interest is due to a lack of immediate results—not seeing a drop in weight fast enough to establish a habit if weight loss is your goal.
Once you’re not getting the result quickly enough, your next thought is usually, “Why bother?”
Here’s why you should bother
The benefits of regular exercise far outweigh the lack of results in your effort to drop some pounds. In other words, your body is benefiting from the exercise, even when the number on the scale hasn’t moved. More on the benefits shortly, but first let me review the difference between exercise and physical activity.
Exercise vs. physical activity
“Exercise” and “physical activity” have slightly different meanings, even though they’re used interchangeably.
Exercise is a form of planned physical activity that’s structured, repetitive, and performed with the goal of improving fitness. Exercise is usually thought of as work with full-on sweat.
Physical activity is more pleasurable and not necessarily associated with perspiring.
Exercise is a type of physical activity, but not every physical activity is exercise.
For example, walking the dog is physical activity, but it’s not exercise—that is unless you’re walking for a few miles at a fast enough pace that you’re panting as much as your dog.
Light housework and gardening are types of physical activity, but they don’t usually raise your heart rate. Whether it’s exercise or physical activity, it’s an event requiring physical effort.
According to the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition from 2018, there are two types of physical activity to improve health which are aerobic activity and muscle strengthening.
A comprehensive fitness plan includes aerobic and flexibility exercises, as well as strength training. Aerobic exercise increases your heart rate, strengthens your heart, and improves your breathing rate. If you’re not already practicing an aerobic routine, start with walking for 5 to 10 minutes a day; then add more minutes each week.
Muscle-strengthening activities that involve all major muscle groups are just as important as aerobic activity on 2 or more days of the week.
Being active vs being busy
Being active is different from being busy, which does not involve physical activity. Over the years, I’ve heard many patients and clients tell me how active they are every day. Allow me to describe their idea of being active:
They get up in the morning, take a shower, and eat breakfast. Their breakfast usually consists of a cup of coffee. Then they get in the car to drive to work or wherever their errands take them. They get out of the car and walk to their destination, continuing this in-and-out, stop-and-go cycle until it’s complete, after which, they return home. On an errand day, many stops may happen along the way before they arrive home and feel exhausted.
For some people, this type of experience feels active. Because there is much movement in and out, stop and go, they think this is physical activity. Depending on their physical condition and health issues, it may even be draining. But, this doesn’t count toward physical activity or exercise, although it may feel like it. This type of activity is examined as busy, not active.
Think of how you describe your day to someone. Unless you’re jogging from your car to the front of the grocery store and doing laps around the parking lot, you’re not active. That said, it’s important to start where you are and begin some type of movement.
Reasons for being active
The following reasons may encourage you to start your own routine of physical activity and continue it until it’s a habit.
Boosts mood. Those who engage in moderate physical activity at least four times per week report superior physical and mental health, have fewer depressive symptoms, and report higher self-esteem than those who do not practice physical activity.
Helps strengthen your heart. Physical activity helps keep the blood flowing efficiently, preventing the onset of high blood pressure and reducing the build-up of plaque in your arteries.
Supports the respiratory system. Your lungs develop a greater capacity to breathe deeper, so you can breathe in adequate amounts of oxygen to nourish the cells in your body.
Preserve bone and muscle strength. It’s one of the best practices you can do to prevent the bone-weakening disease of osteoporosis and improve your balance and coordination to help reduce your risk of falls.
Strength training is particularly helpful in maintaining bone mass and strengthening muscles. Having more muscle tone can help with weight maintenance since it burns nearly three times as many calories as fat (even when you’re not moving!)
Increase your flexibility. When joints are flexible, they’re less prone to injury.
Helps to manage type 2 diabetes. This is a condition that affects the way your body controls blood sugar. Physical activity supports insulin production and lowers your blood sugar.
Relieves stress and stimulates endorphins. Endorphins are neurotransmitters that produce feelings of well-being, providing “natural” pain relief, and helping you to relax. If you had a stressful day, a workout at the gym or a 30-minute walk can improve mental relaxation.
Reduce the risk of certain types of cancer. Physical activity can help reduce the risk of cancer such as colon, prostate, uterine lining (endometrium), and breast cancers.
Improve your sleep. A solid night of sleep helps maintain your physical and mental health. Moderate exercise at least three hours before bedtime can help you relax and sleep better at night.
Pro tip: For some people, exercising too soon before bedtime may increase alertness. Allow at least 3 hours before sleep for any physical activity. Of course, there are those who have no trouble sleeping no matter how close to bedtime they exercise. These are usually the same people who can drink coffee right before bed and sleep like a baby!
Benefit in maintaining or losing weight. The more you move, the more calories you burn which will help reduce body fat, giving you a healthier body composition. Maintaining a healthy body weight eases pressure on your joints, which can help prevent conditions such as arthritis and joint pain (e.g., knee discomfort).
That said, movement is important to help maintain or lose weight, but shouldn’t be the sole reason. As mentioned earlier, frustration will set in, and you’ll give up.
The best benefit of physical activity
Studies suggest that embracing a brain-health‐promoting lifestyle that includes exercise, a diet rich in healthy fats, and plant phytochemicals (compounds found in plant foods to boost health), along with adequate sleep may improve cognitive function. The words “cognitive function” refers to mental abilities, such as thinking, remembering, decision-making, problem-solving, and learning.
Exercise slows the decline in the development of other age‐related diseases. So, the more you exercise regularly the healthier your brain will function. Exercise will serve you well as you age!
Guidelines for physical activity
According to the Physical Activity Guideline for Americans, adults should strive for at least 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) a week of moderate-intensity, or 75 minutes (1 hour and 15 minutes) a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity, or an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity aerobic activity.
From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), only 23% (about one in five adults) of Americans get enough physical activity to maintain good health. Not even a quarter of Americans! Where do you fit in?
The American Heart Association stated the benefits, “Science has linked being inactive and sitting too much with an increased risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, colon and lung cancers, and early death.”
Once you achieve the recommended 150 minutes, know that you gain greater health benefits to help you think, feel, and sleep well, besides performing daily tasks more easily.
Conclusion
Are you busy or active? Once you determine this state, you can organize your day to incorporate structured physical activity.
Aerobic activity may be completed in blocks of 10-minute intervals, spread throughout the week. If you’re inactive, sitting less often is an excellent place to start becoming more active. Movement is essential for your health.
Allow the reasons mentioned above to become or stay active. Brain integrity is a powerful reason to move. Retrain your brain to connect physical activity with mental health.
There are many benefits to physical activity. I hope one or two resonated with you to be consistent in your exercise routine.
Some physical activity is healthier than none so start from where you are and build from there!
In optimal health,
Lisa