Health Benefits of Physical Exercise

Do you want to feel better, have more energy and live longer? Look no further than regular, old-fashioned, sweat-inducing exercise. If you live in Stillwater, you do not even have to join a special club to be physically active.  Just visit one of the many beautiful neighborhoods walking trails or the 3-plus mile biking and walking trail around Boomer Lake. Thanks to the CityÕs Parks and Recreation department for the excellent maintenance of these trails.

The US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the National Institute of Health (NIH) report that individuals can significantly improve their overall health and quality of life through moderate and regular physical activity. Virtually everyone, regardless of age, sex, race or physical ability can achieve the following health benefits of exercise:

1. Strong Heart and Lungs: Regular exercise enables the heart to pump blood more efficiently, bringing much-needed oxygen from your lungs and nutrients to the rest of your body. The heart and lungs get stronger in this process, leaving the body more energetic after exercise.

2. Strong Bones and Muscles: Regular exercise is one of the best things you can do to prevent the bone-weakening disease called osteoporosis.  By strengthening your muscles and bones, you also improve your balance, coordination and reduce your risk of falls. Exercises that bear your body's weight, such as walking and jogging should be included in your exercise routine.

3. Ideal Body weight: Exercise helps you achieve or maintain a healthy weight by burning calories. The more intensely you exercise the more calories you burn. By burning more calories than you take in, you reduce body fat, giving you a healthier body composition. Losing body fat also makes you look and feel better, and reduce your risk of obesity. Maintaining a healthy body weight eases pressure on your bones and joints, which can help prevent conditions such as arthritis.

4. Prevent and manage diabetes: Regular exercise, combined with a healthy diet, is an important way to prevent and manage type 2 diabetes, a condition that affects the way your body uses blood sugar. Exercise also helps insulin to work better and lower your blood sugar. As your muscles contract during exercise, they use sugar for energy. To meet this energy need, sugar is removed from your blood during and after exercise, which lowers your blood sugar level.

5. Reduce depression, stress and better manage pain: Exercise fights depression by activating natural body chemicals that enable your body to communicate well with one another. Exercise also stimulates the production of endorphins or chemicals that produce feelings of well-being or "natural" pain relief, and help you relax.
6. Reduce your risk of certain types of cancer: Regular exercise helps lower the risk of cancers of the colon, prostate, uterine lining, and breast. Scientists believe that exercise may prevent colon cancer by moving digested food quickly through the colon.

7. Promotes better sleep: Moderate physical exercise done at least three hours before bedtime promotes relaxation and a good nightÕs sleep.  A good night's sleep also helps maintain or improve your physical and overall health.