Exercise is widely known for its physical health benefits, but also massively impacts your mental health and overall well-being.
In this article, we will look at seven surprising benefits of exercise that you may not be aware of.
We will discuss how regular exercise can help you manage cognitive decline, improve your mood, have radiant skin and even recover faster from illness.
We will also explore how exercise can help you slow down your biological clock, have a healthy libido, and even teach you about acceptance.
1 – Decreases cognitive decline.
Having a fitter body is correlated with having a sharp mind. Exercise has been proven to increase your brain function and help protect against cognitive decline.
It does this by increasing the production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). BDNF supports the growth of neural connections in the brain and can also improve your memory.
During exercise, there’s an increase in blood flow to the brain, providing it with more oxygen and nutrients. More blood to the brain increases mental alertness and concentration. Regular exercise can also help reduce stress and anxiety, which can interfere with proper brain function if not properly managed.
2 – Makes You Happier.
Exercise releases endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals. These endorphins interact with the receptors in your brain that reduce your perception of pain.
They also trigger a positive feeling in the body, such as that of morphine. Regular exercise boosts self-confidence, relaxes the body, and it can also increase your mood.
Exercise also helps to reduce anxiety and depression, which can all contribute to an improved sense of well-being and happiness.
3 – Slows Down Your Biological Clock
Exercise can help to slow down your biological clock by improving the body’s internal systems. These vital systems are the cardiovascular, hormonal, immune and metabolic systems.
Improving these systems can help to reduce the effects of ageing and make you feel younger.
Working out improves your energy levels, stamina, and health and can also help to reduce stress levels and improve your sleep quality. All these factors can help to slow down your biological clock.
4 – Helps Your Recover Faster From Major Illnesses
Exercise can help speed up your recovery from all manner of illnesses by:
1. Boosting your immune system: Exercise increases the number of immune cells circulating in your body, helping you fight off infection and recover quickly.
2. Increasing circulation to the affected area: Exercise promotes increased blood flow to the affected area, which can help reduce swelling, reduce pain, and promote healing.
3. Increasing your strength: You can build up muscle strength lost due to inactivity during illness, helping you return to normal activities faster.
4. Improving sleep quality: Exercise can help reduce fatigue, improve the quality of your sleep, and help you get the rest you need for a speedy recovery.
5 – Improves your sex life.
Exercising on most days of the week can have a positive effect on your sex life in three ways;
- Improving your stamina and strength.
- Reducing stress
- Increasing your sense of well-being.
By getting regular exercise, you improve your blood circulation, which can help to increase sensations during sex.
Reducing body fat and becoming leaner can elevate self-confidence, and attractiveness and lead to higher libido.
Also, working out together is a great way to improve intimacy and create a stronger connection with your partner.
6 – It Teaches You Acceptance
Exercise can help you to understand and accept your physical limitations. You can learn to accept your physical abilities and become comfortable with them.
You can also learn to accept the areas you need to improve and focus on slowly getting better. Exercise can also teach you to be content with your progress and celebrate your successes.
It can help you to accept what you can and cannot control in life and to focus on the areas where you can make a positive difference.
7 – Makes Your Skin Look Better
Having radiant skin is a sign of good health, and skin care must be a priority for you if you care about your health.
Exercise increases blood circulation, which helps deliver oxygen and nutrients to the skin cells. This helps to keep the skin nourished, hydrated and glowing.
During exercise, you flush out toxins from the skin, making it clearer and reducing blemishes. Dealing with daily stress can negatively impact the quality of our skin. And because exercise helps to reduce stress levels, it indirectly improves our skin health.
