As frustrating as it may sound to workaholics who mock fitness freaks around them, the most real benefits of exercising can never be seen. They are felt. They may be felt in the way you smile back at people around you. They may reflect in the energy that you manage to sustain after a long day’s work. They may be realized after successfully wining a scramble game. They may be sensed while suddenly remember a word at the right time.
There are hundreds of health benefits of exercises. But those that really stand out are often not physically visible yet they have a very tangible effect on your overall personality. The reason why exercise benefits are much relevant to people spending 12 hours a day in a three by three cubicle is that many of these benefits are also related to people’s intellectual state. This week, lets take a look at some such benefits of exercising.
Brain workout: Even the most casual and relaxed 20 minutes of exercising leaves your brain recharged. A bunch of Canadian researchers last year found out that those that involve some kind of physical activity such as walking, gardening, cleaning, swimming etc scored better on brain teasers than those who constantly led a sedentary lifestyle. Exercising has a great effect on your brain and it keeps it ready and alert.
Memory retention: Good news for those who are seeing their loved ones suffer from Alzheimer’s disease. Doctors have now started recommending continuous physical exercise for those having memory loss issues or the disease. Exercise has a direct connection with hippocampus. Hippocampus happens to be one of the first brain regions to surrender to the damage related to Alzheimer’s. This area is crucial as it governs the memory and spatial navigation. Walking or jogging lowers the risk of the disease.
Happiness quotient: Activities like running, swimming or jogging add to the overall wellbeing of a person leaving him happy. Fast running gives people a physical high. They feel accelerated and hence the entire day is spent in that feeling. Imagine that if you do this to yourself daily, you will feel a high every day.
Self esteem: Ever heard that exercise actually has a bearing on your self-esteem. That is because exercise makes a person psychologically satisfied with himself. He feels like he is doing something great to keep his body fit. This gives him a great body image leading to self-esteem. Most diffident people are those who are usually ashamed of their body. Only if they start exercising can they actually improve their self-image.
Better students: Physically active individuals turn out to be better students because exercising increases the level of brain chemicals. Have you ever noticed that many sharp students in your school were also very good at sports? That’s because these two things have a direct connection. In activities like tennis, athletics, dancing, swimming etc, you need co-ordination. This makes your brain work faster and sharper.
Fighting off blues: Workout in gym has the power to even replace antidepressants, as a research has suggested. If a person engages himself in burning calories, he is able to fight off depression better. The reason is exercise kindles the growth of neurons. It’s almost like literally sweating your depression out of our mind and body.