Exercise is a word that most of us cringe at, but if done correctly and regularly, the benefits are great for our minds and bodies. Some of the key benefits include the following:
- General health benefits, keeps diseases at bay, and helps delay the aging process.
- Helps to achieve an improved body composition. (i.e. more muscle)
- Promotes better state of mind, better mental health, and enhances your sleep.
- Achieves better bone density.
- Enhances self confidence and overall appearance.
- Helps to avoid atrophy, which is the shortening of the muscles as a direct result of minimal or no exercise.
There are five main components of exercise and fitness. They following are the five with brief descriptions.
- Cardio respiratory endurance- the capability to perform extended large-muscle exercises at medium to high levels of concentration. This helps train the heart, and make it function at a healthier rate.
- Muscular endurance- this is the ability to sustain a certain level of muscle tension. This promotes good posture, injury prevention, and other physical tasks.
- Muscular strength- this is the amount of force that a muscle can endure in a single effort. The body needs adequate muscular strength for good body alignment, and performing daily tasks of life.
- Flexibility- here flexibility is described as the ability of the joints to move through the full range of motion. When there is poor body flexibility it can lead to body misalignment, stiffness, and pain.
- Body composition- is defined as the proportion of fat-free mass (muscle, bone, and water) to the fat in a person’s body. A healthy body composition is attained when the high proportion of fat-free mass is higher than the fat in the body. Weight training is one of the best ways to add muscle mass.