Our latest blog post is by one of the four personal trainers working with our Operation Bare Food leaders, Daniel Black of innovative Fitness / Innovative Therapy. Daniel helps both youth and adults with weight loss, speed/agility on all sports while he is also a strength and conditioning coach, an advanced kettle bell coach, a neuromuscular physical therapist and a frequent specific microcurrent therapist. Here Daniel explains to us why it’s so important to exercise…
We as human beings were designed to be active and move, not to be sat statically on chairs for long periods of time. Exercise is an essential part of good body function. This is just one reason why it’s so important. More specifically, here are five precise reasons it’s so important.
Exercise helps with stress relief
Exercise is your shortest route to a feeling of wellbeing, relaxation and a physical glow. Not only does it keep the heart healthy and get oxygen into the system, being active can burn off the stress hormones, boosts your feel good endorphins and takes your mind off your daily worries.
Exercise has a positive effect on the body
Exercise increases blood flow through the body and the brain and stimulates the nervous system in many positive ways. Most notably, exercise produces beta-endorphins, which induce a natural ‘high’ and improve your mood.
Regular exercise can increase self-confidence and lower the symptoms associated with mild depression and anxiety and it can also improve your sleep, which is often disrupted by stress, depression and anxiety.
All of this eases your stress levels and gives you a sense of command over your body and life.
Exercise boosts energy
Regular physical activity can improve your muscle strength and boost your endurance. It delivers oxygen and nutrients to your tissues, helping your cardiovascular system work more efficiently. When your heart and lungs work more efficiently, you have more energy to go about your daily chores.
Exercise promotes better sleep
Struggling to fall asleep? Or stay asleep? Regular physical activity can help you fall asleep faster and deepen your sleep. Just try not to exercise too close to bedtime, or you may be too energized to fall asleep.
The overall reason exercise is good for your body…
Exercise and physical activity are a great way to feel better, gain health benefits and have fun. As a general goal, aim for at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day. If you want to lose weight or meet specific fitness goals, you may need to exercise more. But remember to check with your doctor before starting a new exercise program, especially if you haven’t exercised for a long time, have chronic health problems, such as heart disease, diabetes or arthritis, or you have any concerns.
Exercise makes you stronger – strength training is extremely important
Strength training can help you tone your muscles and improve your appearance. With a regular strength-training program, you can reduce your body fat, increase your lean muscle mass and burn calories more efficiently. Better yet, strength training doesn’t have to take as long as you might think. For most people, one set of strength exercises for major muscle groups performed two to three times a week is sufficient.
Strength training can be done at home or in the gym. Free weights and weight machines are popular strength training tools, but they’re not the only options.
You can do strength training with inexpensive resistance tubing or even your own body weight. With proper technique, you may enjoy noticeable improvements in your strength and stamina over time.
If you’re looking to introduce more exercise into your lifestyle, if you want a stronger mind and/or a stronger body too, you can get in touch with Daniel by emailing him at daniel@innovativefitness.ie.