User:Brinay86/Benefits of physical activity

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Brain activity

The benefits of physical exercise, especially aerobic exercise, have positive effects on brain function on multiple fronts, ranging from the molecular to behavioral level. According to a study done by the Department of Exercise Science at the University of Georgia, even briefly exercising for 20 minutes facilitates information processing and memory functions.

Exercise affects the brain on multiple fronts. It increases heart rate, which pumps more oxygen to the brain. It also aids the bodily release of a plethora of hormones, all of which participate in aiding and providing a nourishing environment for the growth of brain cells.

Exercise stimulates the brain plasticity by stimulating growth of new connections between cells in a wide array of important cortical areas of the brain. Research from UCLA demonstrated that exercise increased growth factors in the brain—making it easier for the brain to grow new neuronal connections.

Exercise can come down to improving cognitive skills, decreasing chances of dementia along with reducing damage and deterioration of the brain tissue. Scientist believe that by maintaining psychical fitness it keeps the blood flowing normally to brain tissue. When the blood flows normally to the brain tissue it reduces the risk of damage and deterioration. Blood flow is very important when it comes to keeping the brain young and healthy. There have also been studies that show that aerobic exercise stimulate the release of growth hormones, which continues to improve brain function. When getting to a certain age it is prone that one exercises regularly to keep the brain strong and well functioning, rather than deteriorating. It also reduces the chances of dementia as it keeps the find functioning and lessens the chances of deterioration.

Some benefits of physical activity on brain health happen right after a session of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. Benefits include improved thinking or cognition for children 6 to 13 years of age and reduced short-term feelings of anxiety for adults. Regular physical activity can help keep your thinking, learning, and judgment skills sharp as you age. It can also reduce your risk of depression and anxiety and help you sleep better. Along with this, regular physical activity can relieve distress, improve mood, and most self-esteem.

Weight management

Both diet and physical activity play a critical role in maintaining a healthy body weight, losing excess body weight, or maintaining successful weight loss. Physical activity helps control weight by using excess calories that would otherwise be stored as fat. Most foods we eat contain calories, and everything we do uses calories, including sleeping, breathing, and digesting food. Balancing the calories we eat with the calories we use through physical activity will help us reach and maintain a healthy weight. A few ways to maintain healthy weight with physical activity is working out up to 150 minutes or more per week with intense aerobic activity, for maintaining weight being constant with number of calories and for losing weight reducing the number of calories.

Other benefits[edit]

Bones and muscles[edit]

Routine physical activity is important for building strong bones and muscles in children, but it is equally important as we get older. Your bones and muscles work together to support every movement you make on a daily basis. When you are physically active you strengthen your muscles. Your bones adapt by building more cells and as a result both become stronger. Strong bones and muscles protect against injury and improves balance and coordination. In addition active adults experience less joint stiffness and improved flexibility. This becomes especially important as we get older because it helps to prevent falls and the broken bones that may result. Even if you have arthritis, exercise that keeps the muscles around the joint strong can act like a brace that will react to every move you make without the hassle of an actual brace that you have to put on and take off. Also, more so in older in older adults, exercise can help reduce the risk for falling. Research shows that adding balancing and muscle strengthening workouts to your daily routine can help lower the rick of falling.

Daily activity[edit]

The ability to perform daily activities and maintain independence requires strong muscles, balance and endurance. Regular physical activity or exercise helps to improve and prevent the decline of muscle strength, balance and endurance, all risk factors for falling. Balance plays an important role in everyday activities such as walking, getting up out of a chair or leaning over to pick up a grandchild. Balance problems can reduce your independence by interfering with activities of daily living. The good news is that participating in regular physical activity can significantly improve.

Sleep[edit]

Exercising close to bedtime can help to fall asleep faster and even a deeper sleep. Exercise triggers an increase in body temperature, and the post-exercise drop in temperature may promote falling asleep. Exercise may also reduce insomnia by decreasing arousal, anxiety and depressive symptoms. Insomnia is commonly linked with elevated arousal, anxiety, and depression, and exercise has effects on reducing these symptoms in the general population. These issues count among the most common among most of population. Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting 40 million adults in the United States age 18 and older, or 18.1% of the population every year. A 2010 review suggested that exercise generally improved sleep for most people, and may help with insomnia, but there is insufficient evidence to draw detailed conclusions about the relationship between exercise and sleep. A 2020 systematic review and meta-analysis suggested that physical activity has little association with sleep in healthy children.