Introduction
We live in the world of digitalization where 47% of the global adult population have a sedentary lifestyle. Though this lifestyle provides a lot of comfort but a non-active lifestyle like this can be cause to many diseases.
Department of Health has reported that, half of the population in Singapore only gets involves in physical activity while commuting to work. This one of the major reasons you shall understand the importance of physical fitness on your overall well-being.
In this article, you’ll get know why is it important to have an active lifestyle which includes regular exercise and physical activity. Also, you’ll understand how physical activity promotes better quality of life and helps reducing the risk of diseases.
Let’s understand the link between all these!
The Link Between Your Physical and Mental Health
A person is mentally healthy if he can manage the spread of emotions ranging from joy to despair and can quickly adapt the new surroundings.
A mentally healthy person can be mindful towards the surroundings and also be present in the moment. He/She has a positive outlook and can bounce back from difficult situations.
Getting involved in physical activities like going for a walk, hitting the gym, doing light to moderate exercise, swimming, spending time in nature or anything that takes care of your physical health will also improve your mental health.
These will benefit you in making your body fit and also will elevate your mood. This happens as when a person indulges in physical activities, the brain releases endorphins, oxytocin, serotonin and dopamine chemicals.
They are a human body’s natural feel-good chemicals and it will help you in regulating stress, anxiety and depression.
Health Benefits of Regular Exercise on Your Body
Spending some time of the day being physically active, such as regularly exercising or aerobics, will nourish your body. It will help you maintaining a healthy weight, increase muscle strength, maintain bone density.
It will also reduce your risk of developing heart disease and stroke, Type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome and improving your health and wellness.
Physical activity will help you boost cognitive functions of the brain, boosts self-confidence and helps you improve the quality of your sleep.
Now lets understand how physical activity impacts your overall well-being.
The Importance of Physical Fitness on Your Overall Well-being
Overall well-being depends on both physical and mental health. Human body is complex to understand but one thing that can be said surely is when one performs regular physical activity, it results in overall well-being.
Recovering from diseases not only requires medicines but also a positive mind. It will react positively to those medicines which will benefit your overall well-being.
A positive mindset with resilience will help you fight a lot from the disease. When your body and mind work together, your overall body reacts, enabling you to react from the disease.
Potential Benefits that Regular Physical Activity Has on The Overall Quality of Life
To be an overall fit person, it is not only essential to be free of any diseases but includes many other factors. Let’s understand the benefits of exercise and physical activity on your overall well-being.
1. Immediate Benefits
Activities that help you make your body physically active not only impact your external appearance but also inner self. Indulging in moderate to vigorous can help you alleviate feelings of anxiety.
Physical activity helps you think better, improves concentration and develops clear judgment skills.
2. Helps You Manage Your Weight
A leading cause of disease is obesity. Obesity is more harmful than just what meets the eye. Besides being overweight, it also causes concerns like high blood pressure, deteriorating heart health, increased risk of stroke and many other ailments.
Including around 150 minutes a week of moderate physical activity can help you stay healthy, manage your weight, and better overall health.
3. Impact on Overall Health
i) Reduced Risk of Cardiovascular Disease
The leading cause of death in the United States is heart attack and stroke. You can minimize the risk of falling prey to such consuming diseases by engaging in light to moderate physical activity.
Engaging in regular physical activity can improve your blood pressure and cholesterol. Regular physical activity can help you avert the risk of chronic diseases.
ii) Reduced Risk of Type 2 Diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome
Various factors are associated with developing these diseases.
Diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome arise from high blood pressure, too much fat around the waist, low high-density lipoproteins (HDL) cholesterol, high triglycerides, or high blood sugar levels.
Having an unhealthy lifestyle increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and other chronic health issues. Caving out some time for including some moderate-intensity physical activity helps you derive benefits and reduces the scope of such diseases further.
iii) Helps in Recovering Better from Infectious Diseases
The recent positive lifestyle impact was seen in patients during the coronavirus pandemic.
People who were leading sedentary lifestyles were impacted more by the virus and suffered more severely compared to those people who were more active. This is also true in other infectious diseases such as flu or pneumonia.
Studies suggest that adults who are active and perform aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities are as half likely to contract such diseases as others. But even if they do, they will recover faster and better than others.
4. Makes You Feel Happier And Healthier
Being physically active helps you maintain a good physique, which helps you stay away from diseases and, in turn, keeps your brain healthy and active. This significantly makes you feel happier and healthier.
With improved moods, your chances of working better are also increased. Regular exercise can help promote a better quality of life and better health.
Physical Activity Guidelines To Know
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), people of different ages should indulge in certain activities to stay fit and healthy. WHO recommends:
1. For Children and Teenagers
For this age range, precisely 5-17 years of age, one should engage in activities in the moderate to intense spectrum. Activities can range from physical exercise, aerobics, swimming and so on.
Practicing such activities will help them strengthen their muscles and bones. They should engage in activities for at least 60 minutes daily to develop healthy habits and be fit and active overall.
2. For Adults in the 18-64 Age Group
Adults in the age 18-64 age group should limit their sedentary habits and should be involved in at least 150 to 300 minutes of light to intense aerobic exercises. They can either do this or do at least 75 to 150 mins of rigorous exercise throughout the week.
One should perform exercises or any physical activity that works up their muscles and core, developing good muscle strength and ensuring good heart health, reducing the risk of heart ailments or high blood pressure.
3. For Adults Above the Age Of 65
Adults who are above 65 years of age should get involved in physical activity thrice weekly. Older adults should perform physical activities that focus on functional balance and strength training at a moderate to high intensity.
This will help in improving functional ability and gain resilience to accidental injuries by gaining stronger muscles and better balance.
How to Include Physical Activity to Promote Overall Well-Being
With physical health, exercise will improve your mood and mental health, sex life, in short your overall well being, you shall include a minimum of 30 minutes a day of exercise such as cardio or any physical activity such as walking, cycling, playing a sport, swimming or any activity you prefer.
It is less likely to slip into a trap of several health ailments. Start your journey with these healthy tips:
- Sign yourself up for an exercise program.
- Join hands with a fitness trainer or a workout buddy for more accountability and motivation.
- If you are stressed out, stroll in the garden or your workplace. Take deeper breaths as it helps you become aware of your breathing and helps you calm down.
- Block a minimum of 10 minutes for meditation before you head out for a day filled with activities.
- Take the flight of stairs instead of the elevator.
- Write down your specific fitness goals and undertake physical activities to help you attain them.
Conclusion
Through this, we can say that there is an intertwined relationship between regular physical activity and your overall well-being. There are numerous health benefits of regular physical activity on your body and mind.
It shall be your choice to activity get involved in such activity and lead a healthy lifestyle with improving a sound state of mind and strong muscles and bones.
Start slow and work your way up. Start with 30 minutes of exercise daily, and you will experience the positives yourself.