18 Surprising Benefits of Exercise To Live a Better Life [+ 5 Exercises You Can Begin Today]

Exercise is more than just a way to shed calories or increase muscle mass. It’s a powerful way that can transform your life at holistic levels. From improving your mental health to boosting your productivity, the benefits of exercise are truly astounding. It’s a non-negotiable part of a holistically healthy lifestyle.

So, if you’re ready to discover the top benefits of exercise and how it can change your life, then keep reading. You might be surprised at what you find out.

1. Protects Your Heart 

Presently, the increase in the number of people becoming prone to declining heart health is scary. 

Fortunately, exercising is a free and effective solution to improve your heart health fourfold and makes it pump blood effectively. 

30 minutes of moderate exercise (brisk walking, cycling, playing tennis), 5 days a week, is the best gift you can give to your heart, says research by John Hopkins, and the same is recommended by ADA.

When you exercise, blood is circulated to the whole body and your heart muscles could easily draw oxygen from the blood. This takes off the extra effort your heart makes when you don’t exercise.

According to another study, exercise improves cardiovascular health by producing anti-inflammatory effects and delivering oxygen throughout the body.

2. Helps You Defeat the Energy Crisis of Your Body

If you’re feeling fatigued or lethargic throughout the day or wearied while waking up, then it’s probably time to start exercising. It’s because exercise can help you beat sluggishness and perk your energy levels.

Amazed? I’ll show you how this works. 

When you exercise, your body increases the production of dopamine, a hormone that keeps you motivated and enthusiastic. 

On the other hand, a sedentary lifestyle with an improper diet can make you even more tired. 

This study strongly recommends physical activity to beat fatigue. Ditch coffee, and sports drinks that hikes your energy levels only temporarily and switch to workouts.

3. Gives You The Best Skin To Flaunt

Who doesn’t love perfect, healthy, and radiant skin free of blemishes and pores? The good news is exercise can help you do that!

Exercise increases the production of collagen, which makes your skin look young and flawless. 

What’s more? Exercise ensures cell growth in the skin. It replaces dead and damaged cells with new ones. So, you don’t have to worry about clogged pores, acne, and breakouts.

And it doesn’t end over there.

You already know from above that exercise improves blood circulation to all parts of the body. So what does this mean for your skin? Blood circulation to your skin directly can improve the skin’s texture and tone.

And don’t forget to say hello to your gorgeous skin. 

4. Never Lets You Gain Unhealthy Weight 

It’s a not-so-good experience to stand in front of a mirror and see yourself falling victim to unhealthy weight.

The World Obesity Federation published the World Obesity Atlas in 2022 which gave a shocking report that about 1 billion people including 1 in 5 women and 1 in 7 men will be living with obesity by 2030.

That’s a huge number and it also shows how obesity is less cared about. Adding to that, when it comes to losing weight people, only a few people are mindful of their diet consistently.

But diet alone can only favor weight loss to a certain extent. When coupled with exercise, you can build a strong barrier against unhealthy weight gain. Bring both of them together in your everyday routine to burn off extra calories and maintain a healthy weight. 

5. Keeps Your Blood Pressure at Bay

High blood pressure can be the result of multiple reasons — excess body weight, improper diet, stress, lack of physical activity, and so on.

Now, what if I tell you there is one solution that can eliminate all these triggers? 

That’s exercise.

No exaggeration intended here. Only the facts revealed by research are put forth.

Not only that, exercise makes your heart stronger. Therefore, your heart can pump more blood easily and the pressure on your heart muscles decreases. 

However, only exercising might not be the solution for long-term or chronic high blood pressure. Consult your doctor if you are unable to revert it within the normal range.

6. Supercharges Your Brain Functions and Memory

Did you know that physical activity can contribute to better brain health? It might be surprising but it’s true.

As you age, your brain might find it difficult to learn, remember and try different things. You might need a catalyst to boost your brain function. 

So what can you do? Start exercising! 

Exercise acts as that much-needed which enhances your brain’s ability to learn new things. Furthermore, this study shows that regular physical activity improves memory and even reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s.

7. Wipes Away Chronic Pain

You are dealing with chronic pain and avoiding physical activity, thinking it would flare up your pain. If this sounds like you, you’re not alone! 

Many people assume physical activity would worsen pain and eliminate exercise when they experience chronic pain. But the opposite is what they need to do.

It’s because inactivity would lead to muscle stiffness and in the long run, it can cause loss of strength in the muscles. 

Still not convinced? Look at this study that tells that tailored physical activity can reduce inflammation, and reduce pain even for people with persistent pain. 

8. Optimizes Blood Glucose Levels

A rise in blood sugar levels temporarily would not harm the body. But continuous high blood sugar levels are a matter to be concerned about.

The American Diabetes Association recommends that physical activity can lower blood sugar levels for 24 hours or more. Exercise increases insulin sensitivity in the muscle cells.

As a result, insulin works on glucose circulating in the blood and enables it to get absorbed by the body cells. The cells get glucose to carry functions and the glucose levels in the bloodstream get reduced.

9. Solves Your Sleep Issues

Are you someone tossing and turning at night trying to fall asleep yet left awakened every day? If yes, then you should include exercise in your daily routine. 

The only regret you’ll have is, “why didn’t I start exercising earlier?”

This study shows evidently how physical activity can improve sleep problems and can aid deep sleep. Here’s how it works: 

Just like your home has a clock on the wall, your body has an internal clock in the brain. It must sync with the circadian rhythm (responsible for the sleep-wake cycle) to sleep properly at night. 

Sometimes, these two can go out of sync due to stress, and age giving you improper sleep. But exercise can help you sync your body’s internal clock with circadian rhythm and eventually you can sleep better.

10. Improves mental health

Exercise is beneficial not just for your body but also for your mind. From energizing your mood to reducing the symptoms of anxiety it cleans your mind of negative thoughts. 

Best of all? Exercise helps your body to release natural brain chemicals like endorphins to improve emotional well-being. This study depicts that regular exercise can alleviate stress, anxiety, and mood disorders.

So next time you are mindlessly scrolling social media, why not try strolling instead? 

11. Strengthens muscles and bones 

If you love weight-lifting or high-intensity workouts, then you would also love this benefit. That is, regular exercise can strengthen your muscles and bones.

Workouts make your muscles stronger and bigger. And when your muscles grow, they put pressure on bones making them stronger too. 

That’s like a win-win. You are strengthening both your muscles and bones with just one thing: Exercise.

Take a look at this study, which shows how high-intensity resistance training improved muscular health in people with muscular disorders.

12. Promotes Gut Goodness

Your gut health is responsible for certain important functions like digestion, metabolism, immune power, and homeostasis. In simple, gut health is like the foundation for a building, only when it is laid stronger your body can sustain stronger.

Fortunately, exercise helps you strengthen your body’s foundation. It promotes good gut health. 

This particular study shows that regular exercising can improve both the quality and quantity of gut microbes which play a pivotal role in maintaining a healthy gut ecosystem.

13. Slows Down The Aging Process

Telomeres are found at the tip of your chromosomes just like nails at your fingers. These are crucial when it comes to preventing the aging process. 

But the length of these telomeres decreases as you age. This reduction in telomeres’ length is associated with aging. 

The good part is you can combat this situation with exercise. Exercise is found to maintain telomeres’ length even when you become old.

This study breaks down how regular activity has anti-aging effects by working on a cellular level. 

14. Helps You Break Addiction 

Whether it’s countless coffees, alcohol, smoking, or social media, breaking down any sort of addiction can be difficult. Add to it some distractions and people demotivating you that you cannot break your addiction, you might easily give up. But not anymore!

See the deal here. Exercise can enhance your addiction recovery by releasing a brain chemical called endorphins which gives you a natural high. With regular physical activity, you will be able to get rid of your addiction easily. 

15. Boosts Self-Confidence

Besides enhancing your external appearance, physical and mental fitness attained by exercise also boost your self-confidence from within.

When you make it a habit to exercise every morning for a finite time, it instills a sense of discipline, accountability, and consistency in you. All of these are important skills needed to succeed in all walks of life.

Not to forget, those dopamine hits you get after achieving your fitness goals. The release of happy hormones after the workout enriches your well-being altogether.

16. Boosts Productivity

Imagine yourself completing deadlines, household chores, and other duties on time without postponing after a few weeks of continuous exercise. 

Sounds like a dream? It’s not. 

According to this study, physical training given to people at work showed reduced absent-mindedness and improved productivity and workability. 

Hence, exercise can boost your productivity by battling fatigue, beating procrastination, and maintaining your energy levels throughout the day. For real.

17. Supports Reproductive Health

Optimum reproductive function is the result of optimum physical and mental health. The merrier your mind and the stronger your body is, the better would be your reproductive health.

And you’ll be glad to know that you can achieve this with exercise. From improved blood circulation and a relaxed mind to increased stamina, exercise acts as fuel to your reproductive function.

Shall we see what studies have to say about this? A study shows physical activity can improve erectile function and lowers the risk of erectile dysfunction in men.

In a study of 43 women with PCOS, physical training improved reproductive function and reduced anxiety.

18. Bestows A Better Quality of Life

How nice it feels when,

You wake up fresh every morning.

You’re productive at work all day.

Your mind retains comfort despite the chaos going all around.

Regular exercise is a gateway to living longer with better quality of life. Research says that 30 minutes of exercise a day can extend your lifespan by 0.4 to 6.9 years and increase your life quality by 35-40%, considering factors like blood glucose, blood pressure, cardiovascular health, and body mass index.

5 Simple Exercises That You Must Try For Better Health

Now that we’ve seen the benefits, let’s get into the action. There are certain exercises you can try easily to achieve health benefits.

The only rule of thumb to remember here is: Start slow and maintain steadiness. 

1. Walking

If you’re a rookie, then nothing other than walking would best fit you. All you need would be only a pair of shoes to start. 

Here’s an idea worth considering. Start as simple as walking 15 minutes per day. Then increase your timing gradually.

30 minutes of brisk walking can: 

• Improve cardiovascular health
• Maintain blood sugar levels
• Help you achieve good gut health 

2. Swimming

In case you’ve been told to avoid high-impact exercises like running because of your joint problems then why not try swimming? 

30 minutes of swimming three times a week would give you the following benefits:

• Strengthened lungs & muscles of your body
• Improved brain function
• A refreshed soul & de-stressed mind

So ready to jump into the pool? 

3. Jogging

Here’s how long you need to jog to reap the maximum benefits and increase longevity. A group of Dutch researchers recommends regular jogging of 2.5 hours per week or half an hour per day, five times a week can 

• Build muscular endurance
• Aids weight loss when paired up with good nutrition 
• Lower your blood pressure & elevates your heart health.

4. Squats

3-5 sets of 12-15 repetitions of squats can

• strengthen your leg muscles like glutes (butt muscles) and quads ( thigh muscles)
• prevent your bone loss & strengthen joints 
• increase the mobility of your ankles, knees, and hips. 

5. Push-ups

Experts recommend 2-3 sets of 10 push-ups with some rest in between each session could do the following wonders:

• Maintaining the posture of your back
• Toning your upper body muscles like that of your arms, shoulders, chest, and spine.
• Relieving your back pain, fatigue, and headache.

Making The Most With Your Exercising Routine 

Which exercise is the best for you? What’s the most ideal exercise duration that benefits you? How would you know you are doing it right?

To figure out answers to the above questions, you need to measure and track the impact of your physical activity on your inner body.

EYVA helps you optimize your exercise routine and do what suits your body the most.

For example, it’s recommended to stop doing vigorous exercises when your heart rate is too high. One should only exercise till their maximum capacity, that is, 220 minus your age.

If you’re 30 years old and your heart rate goes above 180 beats per minute, you should stop exercising and get your heart rate to normal, that is, 60-100 bpm.

But how would you keep a tab on your vitals like heart rate, ECG, blood glucose, and blood pressure which cannot be seen externally?

With Eyva, you can know your vital signs’ status before, during, and post-exercise, in the most comfortable way ever! Switch to a smarter way of exercising with this lifestyle gadget which helps you discover the behavior and insights of your inner body. Explore it here.

The Wrap-up Note

If not a healthy body and mind, what would one need to live life peacefully? Achieving peace is as easy as exercising a few minutes a day.

Hence, get your body moving. Everyday.