Why Exercise? Staying Healthy

When you excercise you are helping to build a strong mind, body and spirit. If you stay active daily then your body will thank you for it and as the old addage goes "if you don't use it, you lose it!." Exercise does not have to be done in a gym, we exercise our bodies in daily just be moving around, doing housework, gardening, walking, dancing which is a more gentle way of working out the entire body. You don't need push-ups, sit-ups or gym equipment in order to give your body a 20 to 30 minute workout.

Why should we exercise? Quite simply, exercise keeps your heart healthy which will help to deliver oxygen swiftly to all parts of your body, exercise strenghtens muscles, exercise makes you more flexible and it has been proven that endorphins are emitted from your brain which make you happier during and after exercise.

Aerobic exercise means "with air" so if you want to give your body a healthy arobic workout try swimming, walking quickly and if you are more capable then try basketball, biking or rowing. There are so many ways to work out without using machinery. Arobic exercise helps your heart to take in more oxygen and increases your breathing levels. This, in turn, makes your heart pump faster which allows oxygen-carrying bloodcells to move around your body faster. This form of exercise can be started slowly and over a couple of weeks, perhaps a month, built up to a daily 20-30 minute aerobic workout.

The importance of exercise as you get older is it makes you more flexible and allows you to bend and stretch without any problems. There are a number of exercises which will help your muscles to become more flexible and just by taking a slow stretch when you get out of bed in the morning is only one option. Tai Chi is an excellent slow form of martial art and a wonderful exercise program for seniors. Actually, it is a wonderful exercise programe for all ages. Tai Chi is a gently form of stretching with very slow movements that exercise every part of your body.

Another reason that we should exercise is that it helps to keep your body balanced and rid you of toxins or excess fat. Just like a machine, your body needs fuel in the form of food, it burns off toxins with a little exercise and makes for an overall healthier you. Exercise makes you feel strong, stops aches and pains, and has been proven to increase "happy endorphins" in your brain to give you an overall completeness.

As well as exercising your body it is highly important to exercise your mind. This can be done in many forms such as crosswords, meditation or any form of prolonged relaxed concentration. If you try a little light exercise for starters and ten minutes meditation daily you will be surprised at how quickly your overall wellbeing will improve. Why exercise? Exercise keeps you alive.