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Exercise and physical activity are great ways to keep our bodies and minds in great shape.
"Physical activity has been steadily shown to relate to improved physical health, life satisfaction, cognitive functioning, and psychological well-being"
(Ristau, A., 2020)
How Does Physical Activity Help?
Our Bodies
We all know the physical effects that working out and staying active have on our bodies - summer body here I come! But being active also helps our health, by strengthening our hearts, and lowering our blood pressure and triglyceride levels. Working out helps our bodies work!
Life satisfaction
When we work out and we start seeing results, we start to feel better about ourselves. When we feel good about ourselves our day to day life seems more optimistic and we find more satisfaction in the things we do. Exercise gives us an enhanced sense of control over things. It improves our self concept and self esteem
Our Minds
When we are active, hormones are flooding our brains putting us in good moods. Exercise, and really all forms of physical activity, reduces the likeliness of depression in adults and reduces our anxiety. Moderate intensity exercise however, is the best for us to reduce our anxiety faster.
How much exercise is enough?
Research has shown that even walking for 5 minutes can help improve your mood.
But if you want better and longer lasting results then a longer or more intense workout can do the trick.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend that as an adult you should get 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic exercise 5 days a week, as well as muscle strengthening activities 2 days a week.
Or
75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity 5 days a week, as well as muscle strengthening activities 2 days a week.
Even an equal division of moderate and vigorous aerobic activity for 2 or more days a week, as well as muscle strengthening activities for 2 days of the week, will help your get results and keep your body healthy.
Easy Ways to Stay Active without a Gym
We all know that sometimes working out just doesn't fit into our schedules, so it is important to take advantage of any time we may have throughout the day. It doesn't have to be an intense exercise, just something to get you moving!
Below are some easy ways to stay active when you can't make it to a gym!
Take the stairs
As much as we appreciate elevators and escalators, they are not helping our health. Whenever possible try taking the stairs instead. Just walking up and down stairs is a great way to get some physical activity in and can help your health in the long run. Also, if your house has stairs in it, try running up and down them or skipping instead of just walking, this will give you an extra burn!
Park Far
Parking far from your destination may sound like a drag; however, it is a perfect way to get in some extra steps for your day. Getting in these extra steps will not only help your body, but can help relax your mind, putting you in an overall better mood.
Make House Chores into Workouts
Doing chores around the house and yard work are excellent ways to get active. With so many different movements you stay active the whole time and are constantly burning calories. You can up the intensity by adding in little workouts or strength exercises, like walking on the balls of your feet while vacuuming to give your calves a nice burn.
Use Items in your House as Workout Tools
Not everyone has weights at their disposal, so it is nice to know that everyday household items can be used as weights. Try using cans as dumbbells, or if you want to get extreme use a chair as your weight while you squat. Any item can be turned into a weight or an accessory to your workout.
Stand Whenever Possible
Standing is important but is often overlooked. When we stand we are actually burning calories. By standing instead of sitting, we are also reducing our risk of strokes and heart attacks. When possible, try and supplement standing in place instead of sitting, even if it is for a quick minute.
Walk
Walking is one of the best ways that a person can stay active and healthy. Walking helps our bodies and minds and can be done virtually at any time. When you have been working at your desk non stop, try taking a break and walking around the office or parking lot. This activity will get your blood flowing, and you will be more focused when you return to work. You are also getting in those extra steps that are so important when we don't have time to workout.
Staying active does not have to be hard or something that people fear. Overall, staying active has so many health and life benefits, that it is important to do anything you can to keep moving.
Physical activity makes our body systems work better, improves our health and has been shown to extend our lives. It is also a healthy way to deal with stressful or overwhelming situations in our lives. With that being said, the impact it has on our mental health is very beneficial.
With physical activity and exercise incorporated into your life, you can strengthen your body and mind everyday.