Benefits of Exercise

By Sarah Marshall Hons BScCPT

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-. Elevates your metabolism so that you burn more calories every day.
-. Increases you aerobic capacity (fitness level). This gives you the ability to go through each day with less relative energy expenditure. This enables a 'fit' person to have more energy left at the end of the day and to get more accomplished during the day with less fatigue.
-. Maintains, tones, and strengthens your muscle. Exercise also increases your muscular endurance.
-. Decreases your blood pressure.
- Increases the oxidation (breakdown and use) of fat.
- Increases HDL (good) cholesterol.
- Makes the heart a more efficient pump by increasing stroke volume.
- Increases hemoglobin concentration in your blood. Hemoglobin is part of the red blood cell that carries oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body.
- Decreases the tendency of the blood to clot in the blood vessels. This is important because small clots traveling in the blood are often the cause of heart attacks and strokes.
- Increases the strength of bones.
- Causes the development of new blood vessels in the heart and other muscles.
- Enlarges the arteries that supply blood to the heart.
- Decreases blood levels of triglycerides (fat).
- Improves control of blood sugar.
- Improves sleeping patterns.
- Increases the efficiency of the digestive system which may reduce the incidence of colon cancer.
- Increases the thickness of cartilage in joints, which has a protective effect on the joints.
- Decreases a woman's risk of developing endometrials by 50%.
- Reduced stress.
- Effective weight control
- Increased muscle tissue, healthy bones and flexible joints.
- Increased balanced and coordination which is especially important in older adults.
- Better mental well-being.
- Increases the amount of blood that flows to the skin making it look healthier and feel better.
- Reduced risk of heart disease.
- Decreases total blood cholesterol
- Reduced risk of diabetes.
- Reduced risk of osteoporosis.
- Decreased resting heart rate.
- Increases lung capacity
- Increased amount of blood your heart can pump in a single beat.
- Reduced feelings of depression