Exercise Can Boost Your Energy
Posted on September 18, 2014
It’s almost the weekend! Do you have plans? Do they include exercise? I used to spend a fair amount of time driving my children to their weekend sports practices. That is great for their physical well being, but it is also great to be a good role model and to be able to keep up with them!
Fatigue is one of the most common health symptoms. You have most likely experienced fatigue at some point in your life. Physical activity has been demonstrated to be an effective treatment to reduce symptoms of fatigue and increase energy levels. Unfortunately, the last thing we feel like doing when we are fatigued is a quick workout. Many of us think a work out will just make us feel more worn out. This could not be further from the truth!
Regular physical activity improves muscle strength and physical endurance. In fact, you may feel more energetic after you exercise than before. This is because exercise delivers more oxygen and nutrients to your tissues and helps your cardiovascular system work more efficiently. When our hearts and lungs are working more efficiently we have more energy!
According to research at the University of Georgia, sedentary, otherwise healthy adults who did as little as 20 minutes of low to moderate aerobic exercise, 3 days per week for 6 consecutive week, reported feeling less fatigued and more energized. (acefitness.org) Findings in this study suggests that exercise acts directly on the nervous system to increase energy and reduce feelings of fatigue.
Exercise can even make us more productive. Because physical activity can give you more energy through-out the day and help you sleep better, your brain has more energy, increasing your mental output! For a more technical explanation, visit Huffpost.com, Exercise Increases Productivity.
The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services exercise guidelines recommend that health adults engage in 2.5 hours of weekly moderate intensity exercise, such as brisk walking or gardening.
The evidence is truly compelling; a regular moderate exercise routine can give you more energy to take on the day.
So in review, exercise increases your energy level, increases you feelings of well being and happiness, reduces stress and decreases risk of some chronic conditions (like diabetes and stroke) and can improve others (like arthritis.) Did I mention that many types of exercise are free? And it can be social – like making a time to walk with a friend or partner, joining a hiking club, or taking an exercise class together. If this were an infomercial, you would have already called for your free trial offer! Tomorrow we will talk about one more perk of regular exercise (thrown in for free.) Stay tuned!
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