Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is important in order to have a long, healthy life. Exercise or physical activity is an essential part of a balanced and healthy lifestyle. The benefits of exercise are numerous. Physical activity proves our heart condition and tones our diaphragm to enable them to function efficiently.
Good blood circulation prevents clotting in the veins which can occur if we remain inactive for too long. It is a known fact that clotting may cause blockage which may result in premature death.Exercise also improves our digestion and bowel movement and keeps our body healthy. For those of us who are overweight, exercise helps in weight loss as it uses up calories which would otherwise be stored in our body as fat.
Exercise also tones our muscles and keeps our body trim and fit. Besides, it relaxes our mind and body, and helps us unwind after a hard day’s work. We also sleep better after a good exercise session. The types of exercise we can do include brisk walking, jogging, swimming or cycling.
Other options are indoor and outdoor games and sports like badminton and tennis.We can also do aerobics at home or work out at a gymnasium. During exercise, it is important that we wear appropriate clothes to allow for easy movement as well as to prevent injury. Exercise gear should suit our size and shape, and allow for stretching. What items of clothing we wear depends on the type of activity and whether we do it indoors or outdoors. Even the shoes we wear should be appropriate to the activity we engage in.
For instance, walking shoes are meant for walking and wearing them for jogging may result in injury to our heels.We should choose shoes that fit both feet well. When we are physically active, our body gets warm and perspires and helps to keep our skin healthy. If we do not replace the fluid lost from our body, we will become dehydrated.
It is, therefore, important that we drink before, during and after exercise. We should all learn to keep exercise at the top of our priority if we intend to live a healthy and perhaps longer life. We could start by doing at least twenty minutes of physical activity three days a week before proceeding to work out on a daily basis.
