man and woman working out with medicine balls

We all know that exercise is important, and leads to healthier living. It can be hard to find the right time to fit in a workout, or even increase physical activity with our busy schedules. We often think we’ll start working out later, or make it to the gym later this week. In reality, we normally just put it off further and further. But making time to exercise regularly for even 30 minutes a day can have a huge benefit on your short-term and long-term health.

In a previous post, we discussed four benefits of regular exercise. These included improved mental health, deeper sleep, bone health, and higher energy levels. Today, we’ll look at four more benefits of regular exercise, and how it can improve your bodily function.

If you are in need of primary care in Bee Cave, Hill Family Medicine is here for you! Get in touch with us today to schedule an appointment for any of our various services, so you can feel your best at all times. Our expert team is ready to help you with anything you need!

Exercise Controls Diseases

The lack of regular physical activity is the primary cause of many chronic diseases. Regular exercise has been shown to improve body composition, decrease blood pressure, improve insulin sensitivity, and lower blood fat levels. Conversely, lack of exercise can cause an increase in belly fat, and lead to obesity–even in the short term! This increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and even decreases a person’s life expectancy.

Exercising regularly can prevent or manage symptoms of a wide variety of diseases and medical issues including:

  • Stroke
  • Metabolic issues
  • High blood pressure
  • Type 2 diabetes
  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Some types of cancer
  • Arthritis

Not only does exercise reduce the risk of disease, but it can reduce your risk of fall-related injuries. Especially in older adults, research shows that balance and strength exercises along with medium intensity aerobic activity can reduce your risk of falling, and promote faster healing on the rare occasions you do take a tumble.

Physical Activity Can Help With Weight Loss

Partaking in a healthy diet is a large part of weight loss, but adding in regular exercise will help you maintain your ideal weight and prevent obesity. To maintain a healthy and consistent weight, you must burn more calories than you eat or drink. The more exercise you partake in, the more calories you will be burning. By combining aerobic exercise and resistance or weight training, you will be able to maximize the loss of fatty weight while maintaining muscle mass and definition. It’s important to remember that muscle weighs more than fat, so you can’t always trust your scale! As you are decreasing the fat in your body with regular workouts, you will also be increasing the muscle.

Increased Skin Health

Oxidative stress can have a negative effect on your skin. Oxidative stress occurs when the body’s natural antioxidant defenses cannot completely repair the damage that free radicals cause to cells. Free radicals destroy cell membranes and make them more vulnerable to decay. This causes an increase in the risk of illness, and skin that has the appearance of aging more quickly. With regular exercise, you can increase your body’s production of natural antioxidants to destroy free radicals, and protect your cells. Exercising can also stimulate blood flow throughout your extremities. This increased flow of blood promotes healthier skin, and can repair some damage, as well as delaying the appearance of aging skin.

Improved Brain Function

Exercise stimulates your body to release proteins and other chemicals that improve the structure and function of your brain. As you exercise, your heart rate increases, which promotes a higher flow of oxygen and blood to your brain. This can enhance the growth and production of brain cells. As discussed earlier, the prevention of diseases comes into play here again, as many of the diseases discussed affect your brain. Regular physical activity has been shown to cause the hippocampus in your brain to grow in size. This part of your brain is related to memory and learning, and is key for all humans, but becomes more important as you get older, for maintaining healthy brain function. Thus, exercise keeps your thinking, learning, memory, and judgment skills sharp as your body ages.

Primary Care Physicians in Bee Cave

Hopefully these recent posts have motivated you to exercise regularly, or increase your physical activity if you already exercise regularly. Hill Family Medicine wants you to be able to live a long and healthy life, and exercising daily is key to this. If you need a primary care physician in Bee Cave, please get in touch with our staff to schedule an appointment. We give personalized care for each and every person that walks through our doors. We look forward to seeing you soon, so we can assist you on your journey toward better health.