the importance of regular exercise

Don't be discouraged by the title above saying "exercise" - whether you call it exercise, physical activity, or moving your body - engaging in something that gets your muscles moving and stretching, gets you away from the computer, and raises your heart rate a bit, is important for both your physical and mental health.

In this post, I'll share several reminders on how.

Photo by Ketut Subiyanto

heart health

Regularly moving your body and elevating your heart rate (to safe levels) helps to strengthen your heart muscle, regulate blood pressure, and increase good cholesterol. These factors can contribute to the prevention of heart disease and, as part of appropriate cardiac rehabilitation programs, can improve survival after heart attacks.

Sometimes starting a new habit of exercise just needs the right motivation. If heart health is the motivator for you, click the links in the previous paragraph to learn more about what types of exercise and how much exercise are appropriate.

risk of disease

Chronic diseases include heart disease, stroke, cancer, and diabetes (among others) and contribute to over half of deaths across the globe each year - many of which are preventable. 

Regular physical activity not only improves your muscular and cardiorespiratory fitness (heart and breathing), but it can also improve the health of your bones, make it easier to move around functionally (like getting out of a chair), and reduce the risk of falls. Learn more from the World Health Organization.

If you have a passion for helping others move more, you may consider working part-time or full-time as an exercise instructor. You don't have to get your personal training certification to do that - you can get certified as a specific class instructor (like Zumba or Tai-Bo), or if you're passionate about yoga, you could complete your 200 yoga teacher training.

Explore companies that posted fitness videos on Youtube during the pandemic and find out how to join them, or how to start your own channel. If you regularly attend a fitness class, like cardio kickboxing or aerobics, find out what you need to do to become an instructor.

mental health

Moving more - whether you take a walk around the block at lunch or work up a sweat after work - can improve your mental health by reducing stress, anxiety, and depression and improving mood, sleep quality, and cognitive function. 

live longer

Exercise can prevent or reduce your risk of chronic disease, contributing to a longer lifespan. But regular physical activity can also contribute to more healthy years at the end of your life, such as life free from dementia and disability. As we age, it is particularly important to engage in weight-bearing exercise such as body-resistance training or weight training. Weight-bearing exercise increases our muscle strength and bone density, which can improve our functionality to prevent falls and maintain quality of life.

One of my favorite resources for anyone looking to start or get back into movement as they age, is the book Stay Fit for Life. It includes full page color photos of real people completing functional movements, includes different difficulty levels, and week-long exercise plans.