The benefits of maintaining an active and healthy lifestyle go far beyond physical gains. The staff at The Endorphin Effect has helped to put together a list of some of the ways staying active can improve your overall lifestyle.
1. Energy
“An active lifestyle can give you more energy and strength to push you through a tough day.” – Priscilla Rodriguez, Yoga Instructor.
2. Happiness
Priscilla goes on to say that staying active can help improve your mood throughout the day.
3. Mental Health
“Incorporating some type of activity into your daily routine not only improves your physical health, it can have a positive impact on your mental health”. Jose Barrera, a self-described “Jack of All Trades” at The Endorphin Effect, says keeping your body active can help fight depression.
4. Eating Healthier Options
5. Weight Loss
6. More Confidence
7. Positive Attitude
8. Stronger Physique
9. Decreased Risk of Disease
Miwa Gardi, Founder of The Endorphin Effect believes that decreased risk of disease is a major motivator for maintaining an active lifestyle. The American Heart Association (AHA) notes that regular exercise leads to heart-healthy habits. This can prevent conditions like obesity, high blood pressure and poor cholesterol levels, which can lead to heart attack and stroke.
10. Muscle Health
11. Bone Health
Physical activity such as weight lifting can stimulate muscle building when paired with adequate protein intake.
Additionally, staying active helps build bone density when you’re younger, along with helping to prevent osteoporosis later in life.
12. Skin Health
According to Healthline.com, moderate exercise can provide antioxidant protection and promote blood flow, which can protect your skin and delay signs of aging.
13. Brain Health
The site also found that living an active lifestyle improves blood flow to the brain and helps brain health and memory. Among older adults, it can also help protect mental function.
14. Sleep Quality
A number of studies have been done on the effects of exercise on sleep. One found that 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity per week can provide up to a 65% improvement in sleep quality. Another showed that 16 weeks of physical activity increased sleep quality and helped 17 people with insomnia sleep longer and better than the control group. It also helped them feel more energized during the day.
15. Pain Reduction
16. Better Personal Life
A healthier and more physical routine can lead to an overall better personal life style, like feeling more satisfied with your mental health and overall general happiness. Having a healthy life style can help curb anxiety, depression and stress that may plague someones mental health.
17. Enjoyable!
Exercise and physical activity can be fun, giving you a chance to unwind, enjoy the outdoors or simply engage in activities that boost your mind and make life more pleasant.
18. Connection
Staying active can be a great way to connect with family or friends in a fun social setting.
19. Better Digestion
20. Reduced Cancer Risk
“Inactivity is associated with increased risk for a number of cancers, including colon and breast cancer,” Dr. Larry McCleary told Everydayhealth.com. “Exercise has been linked with a decreased risk of developing cancer, death from cancer, and recurrence of certain cancers.”
21. Reduced Stroke Risk
McCleary also pointed out that staying active helps with body weight management, and can lower blood pressure, reduce bad cholesterol, increase good cholesterol, increase insulin sensitivity and increase your likelihood of continuing to exercise, and given that two of the greatest risk factors for strokes are high blood pressure and heart disease, it should come as no surprise that regular exercise helps reduce stroke risk, as well.
22. Better Chance to Enjoy the Outdoors
23. Slower Aging
Exercise has been shown to lengthen lifespan by as much as five years. A small new study suggests that moderate-intensity exercise may slow down the aging of cells. As humans get older and their cells divide over and over again, their telomeres—the protective caps on the end of chromosomes—get shorter.
24. Helps You Recover From Illness Faster
25. It Feels Plain Good!
In conclusion, here’s what Michael Hohmeier, a Personal Trainer at The Endorphin Effect, had to say when it comes to how staying active improves your quality of life. “Being active on a regular basis improves your mood, gives you a sense of healthy accomplishment, and often leads to a new passion. Find an activity you love doing, find people to do it with, and keep doing it! Happiness will follow!”