We often hear that exercise is beneficial for our health, but do we truly understand why that is? All the numerous details of our bodies - from our anatomy to the way our brains function - are intricately designed to facilitate and respond to movement. As a result, our bodies have evolved to thrive with regular physical activity, and a lack of it can lead to various health issues. This article explores the numerous benefits of physical activity and outlines how incorporating different types of movement is crucial for maintaining our overall health and well-being.
The Importance of Physical Activity
Throughout our evolutionary past, movement was vital for survival as our ancestors hunted, gathered, and evaded predators, and so our bodies have evolved to require regular physical activity. Today, while the need for survival-based activity has diminished, our bodies still rely on movement to function optimally.
Here are some key reasons why exercise is important for our health:
- Musculoskeletal Health: Regular movement helps maintain strong bones, muscles, joints, and connective tissue. Weight-bearing exercises can stimulate muscle and bone growth and prevent diseases of frailty like sarcopenia and osteoporosis.
- Cardiovascular Health: Aerobic exercises like jogging, cycling, and swimming that acutely raise your heart rate can improve heart and vascular health. This in turn reduces the risk of various cardiovascular diseases and complications like heart attack and stroke, which are the leading cause of death worldwide.
- Metabolic Health: General physical activity aids in weight management by increasing caloric expenditure and regulating metabolism. It also helps control appetite and blood sugar levels, reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes and other metabolic diseases.
- Immune System Function: Moderate exercise boosts the immune system, reducing the risk of infections and other chronic diseases.
- Emotional Wellbeing: Exercise triggers the release of endorphins and endocannabinoids, neurotransmitters that elevate mood and reduce stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms.
- Improved Cognitive Function: Regular physical activity enhances cognitive function, including memory, concentration, and problem-solving skills. It also reduces the risk of cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia.
- Better Sleep: Exercise promotes deeper, more restorative sleep, improving overall sleep quality and duration, which is crucial for both our physical and mental health.
The 4 Pillars of Physical Fitness
To stay healthy, it's essential to incorporate a variety of exercise types into your routine. Most people tend to focus on one type of exercise, but research has shown that for the purposes of healthy aging, it’s important to diversify and incorporate four different pillars of physical fitness, which include:
Strength Training
Strength training, or “resistance training,” involves using external resistance to build muscular strength and endurance. This can include weightlifting, bodyweight exercises, or using weight machines or resistance bands. Contrary to common belief, strength training is not only reserved for males and bodybuilders, it is a crucial training modality for aging gracefully and staving off lifestyle diseases. In addition to making you look good in a swimsuit, its other benefits include:
- Preservation of muscle mass, which is crucial for maintaining mobility, independence, and overall functionality as we age. It also counters the natural loss of muscle and strength as people age known as sarcopenia.
- Improved Bone Density, which reduces the risk of osteoporosis and fractures, particularly in postmenopausal women and older adults. Strength training stimulates bone remodeling and growth, leading to stronger, more resilient bones.
- Better Joint Health, including tendons and ligaments. This provides added support and stability, reducing the risk of injuries and degenerative conditions like osteoarthritis.
- Enhanced Metabolism, due to increases in muscle mass, which is more metabolically active. This means that individuals who engage in regular strength training burn more calories at rest, making it easier to maintain a healthy weight and reduce the risk of obesity-related conditions such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
It is recommended to engage in strength training exercises for all of your major muscle groups at least 2 days per week, ideally spread out throughout the week.
Aerobic Exercise
Aerobic exercise, or “cardio,” includes activities like brisk walking, jogging, cycling, swimming, and using cardio machines. This type of training is crucial for maintaining heart, lung, and vascular health, which influences cardiovascular and metabolic health and cognitive function. Aerobic exercise also increases energy expenditure, promoting weight loss or maintenance, and can delay or prevent chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, certain cancers, and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.
Health guidelines recommend 150 minutes of weekly moderate activity that elevates your heart rate. Start at your own pace and gradually build up to this target, spreading out your activity throughout the week to avoid prolonged periods of inactivity.
Flexibility and Mobility
Flexibility and mobility refer to the ability of joints and muscles to move through their full range of motion without pain or restriction. Activities like dynamic and passive stretching, yoga, and pilates are great for improving flexibility and mobility.
Flexibility and mobility are crucial for maintaining physical function, preventing injuries, and promoting overall well-being as we age. Regular flexibility exercises can help preserve joint health, improve posture, alleviate muscular pain, and enhance athletic performance, contributing to a longer, healthier life. Flexibility training modalities like yoga also involve focused breathing and mindfulness techniques, promoting relaxation and stress reduction.
Balance and Stability
Balance refers to maintaining stable control of the body's position, whether stationary or in motion, whereas stability refers to resisting external forces and maintaining a steady posture. Balance and stability training includes exercises like sit-to-stand, standing on one leg, heel-to-toe walking, or using balance boards or stability balls while performing various exercises. Strength training and yoga also improve balance and stability.
Both balance and stability are essential for daily activities, preventing falls, and enhancing overall physical function. Incorporating balance and stability training into your fitness routine can have profound benefits for longevity.
Staying Active Throughout the Day
By incorporating a combination of these different types of exercises into your routine, you can optimise your health and well-being, supporting your body's natural need for movement and ensuring a better quality of life. However, it’s important to stress that even if you’re exercising for an hour a day and are incorporating all of these different modalities, but are remaining sedentary for the rest of the day, then your health could still suffer! So try to remain active throughout the day by breaking up sitting time with “exercise snacks” like short walks, taking the stairs, gardening, or anything else that keeps your body moving.
Conclusion
Physical activity is vital for maintaining our well-being and maximising our healthspan. By understanding the importance of movement and incorporating a variety of exercises into your routine, you can support your body's natural need for movement and ensure a better quality of life. Try to prioritise staying active throughout the day and embrace the numerous benefits of regular physical activity for enhancing your health and longevity.