Is exercise overrated? No, it is not. You have probably come across tons of articles, advice from friends or family, and other sources of motivation and emphasis on making your body busy. The fuss alone has made most people take exercise for granted. However, it might be as well the way you get to save your life. That person you come across taking a morning run or carrying a gym bag after work is doing his or her health a big favor. If exercise was not included in the list of your resolutions this year, then you might want to add it for the following reasons.
1. It can boost the production of human growth hormone
The human growth hormone is essential in several ways. It is responsible for the repair and maintenance of your body’s healthy tissues, the building of muscles, and metabolism. It is also said to have some benefits on appearance by slowing down aging.
It is worth noting that the production of human growth hormone by the pituitary gland may not always be adequate to serve the mentioned functions. One of the ways you can naturally boost HGH production is through exercise. Exercise helps in preventing obesity and the excessive formation of body fat, which impairs the creation of the hormone. Also, it triggers the pituitary glands to produce HGH. If you are low on HGH it also could be a growth hormone deficiency and in this case, exercises won’t help you to boost its production. You’ll have to start hormone therapy by visiting a hormone specialist in your area. Sometimes it is tough to find legal and affordable HGH therapy in Houston, TX, as not so many clinics in this location are allowed to sell HGH injections. However, you can get it legally through a doctor’s prescription.
2. Prevention of cardiovascular diseases
Heart diseases like heart attack and coronary artery disease can be life-threatening. You can prevent them by doing more exercise. Exercise strengthens your heart muscles, boosts the circulation of blood, and, consequently, the supply of oxygen and nutrients in your body. Regular exercise can reduce the risk of developing heart diseases, lowers your blood pressure, and also reduces triglycerides in your system.
3. Better mental health
Mental health has become a rising concern over the recent past. As days go by, people suffering from anxiety disorders and depression continue to increase. The causes are varying. The good thing is that there are treatments and solutions, such as exercise.
How does exercise improve mental health? As you take a run or do other cardio exercises, two hormones, dopamine, and endorphins are produced. They are also known as ‘feel-good’ hormones as they can improve your mood and reduce stress. Also, as you are preoccupied with exercise, your mind is prevented from wandering to negative thoughts.
Stress and anxiety caused by low-self esteem can also be done away with through exercise. For instance, you can maintain a healthy weight, which can give you confidence.
4. It can help you recover from addiction
Alongside other addiction treatments, exercise can go a long way in helping in the recovery from addiction. Since most addicts turn to drugs when in stressful situations, exercise provides a healthy alternative which they can use to ward off stress. Also, lack of sleep is one of the withdrawal symptoms of alcohol and drugs. Exercise can neutralize this symptom as it is known to boost sleep.
Addiction to alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs can lead to the development of diseases such as cancer, diabetes, depression disorder, and osteoporosis, to mention a few. Regular exercise can protect a recovering addict from getting the mentioned diseases.
Exercise helps individuals in quitting unhealthy habits such as smoking and drinking alcohol. With exercise on your schedule, you may lack time to go and indulge in unhealthy habits. Also, it gives you discipline, which can help you have control over drug-seeking behavior.
Exercise also plays a vital role in weight loss. Maintaining a healthy weight can prevent you from developing life-threatening diseases. The benefits of regular exercise cannot be overstated. Depending on how you want the exercise to work for you, that is weight loss, recovery from addiction, among other things, research the best kind of exercise for your needs. If it is weight loss, find a set of exercises that work best for your body type.