The Benefits of Fitness

Overview

You are probably tired of hearing about the benefits of regular exercise since every media outlet is talking about it.

However, this unusual persistence should tell you something, right?

Regular exercise is extremely beneficial for a variety of reasons, which we will cover in this article.

Note that the nature of the exercise you perform is not as important as consistency; therefore, you should go for a routine that you enjoy instead of following what everyone else is doing.

In this article, we will cover the benefits of staying fit and some general guidelines to keep you motivated.

The impact of physical activity on your health

Being regularly active has never been more important, as the rates of organic and mental illnesses are constantly on the rise.

Here is a short list of benefits you can expect from regular physical activity:

Weight loss

In a 2012 study, scientists compared several weight loss exercises to see which one yields the best results.

The main two forms of exercise were cardiovascular and strength training.

The study concluded that aerobic training was more effective at reducing body fat and the risk of numerous conditions (e.g., heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure).

Physical strength

Although most people think that they can only acquire strength by performing resistance training, researchers found that cardiovascular training also increases physical strength by improving endurance, regulating metabolism, and increasing VO2 max.

Additionally, you will drastically improve your flexibility, which contributes to more physical strength.

Muscle growth

Contrary to popular belief, aerobic exercise can also lead to muscle hypertrophy and increased lean muscle mass. In fact, several studies confirmed this finding.

Obviously, the effect is less prominent relative to strength training, but it is there, nonetheless.

Mental health improvement

In a study published by the Frontiers in Psychiatry in 2018, researchers analyzed the effects of physical activity on major depressive disorder (MDD).

The study found that exercise is an extremely beneficial tool that reduces the severity of MDD symptoms and increases patients’ life-spans.

Boosted metabolism

Regular exercise inadvertently boosts your basal metabolic rate (BMR).

For those unfamiliar with BMR, here is a quick definition:

BMR is a metabolic parameter used to estimate the number of calories needed for your organs to function per day.

It is subject to several factors, including age, sex, body type, diet, lean muscle mass, degree of physical activity, and genetics.

Thankfully, exercise increases BMR dramatically, which helps you burn fat as you sleep.

Guidelines for physical activity

As for the specific guidelines to follow during physical activity, most experts recommend performing something you enjoy.

Whether that be jogging, weight lifting, tennis, or golfing, what really matters is the consistency in performing these activities.

Consistency is most likely to occur if you are actually having fun instead of contemplating each training session.

With that said, there are some specific steps you need to take in order to avoid any musculoskeletal injuries, including proper warmups, the gradual increase of intensity, and matching the type of physical activity you adopted with an appropriate nutrition plan.

Ways to be Active

As mentioned above, there are numerous ways to stay active, which we can divide into two categories:

• Individual training (e.g., weight lifting, jogging)
• Group sports (e.g., football, basketball)

If you are a people person, you might find it more enjoyable to train with your peers by organizing a group game, such as basketball, football, or beach ball.

Each type of exercise has its advantages and downsides that you need to consider before starting your fitness journey.

The use of incentives in the field of fitness

In the past few years, many personal trainers and fitness experts started incorporating incentives and rewards to induce positive behavior in their students.

The concept is well-documented in the field of psychology and has been implemented in several contexts, including business, raising kids, and pet training.

Positive behavior and fitness

In the field of fitness, people often struggle to keep pursuing their fitness goals, especially in the beginning.

You see, when you first start working out, your body is not yet adapted to the new routine. For this reason, experts are advocating to incorporate positive behavior in fitness.

To use the psychology of positive behavior, you need to set rewards and incentives to keep you going with strict rules of eligibility.

For instance, if you reach 20 miles of jogging in one week, you get a reward (e.g., your favorite food, movie night, gift).

If you believe that you lack self-control, you can ask a family member or a friend to help you with this task.

In an observational study published in Nature, researchers analyzed the level of physical activity in 11,881 participants who received frequent short-term incentives to promote positive behavior.

After several years of follow-up, participants who received incentives were significantly more active than those who didn’t.

This study suggests that positive behavior will play a pivotal role in the future of fitness, as we could use it to stimulate people who lack motivation and patience.

See your doctor before you start

Consulting with a doctor is perhaps the most neglected aspect of starting a workout plan. However, this step is crucial as your doctor will examine you and conclude whether this activity suits your physical health and how to improve in the future.

For instance, if you want to run marathons or triathlons, it might be a good idea to get a physical examination. As a result, you will get an insight into your cardiovascular system and its ability to handle this stress.

Takeaway message

Exercising provides the body with a myriad of health benefits that go beyond physical appearance. The list of benefits cited above is by no means comprehensive.

We hope that this article highlighted the main aspects of fitness and how you can use cardiovascular exercises and strength training to optimize your health.

If you still have any questions, concerns, or anything you want to add to this discussion, please don’t hesitate to share your thoughts in the comment section below.