Traqade
Hitting the gym or the jogging track to ward off heart disease, diabetes, or to lose weight? While those are the obvious reasons for giving your muscles a workout, here are some lesser known, factual benefits of exercise.
An exercise high: Endorphins and Serotonin
Neurotransmitters called endorphins, whose effects are similar to that of morphine, are released into the brain while exercising, reducing pain and elevating the mood of the exerciser. It’s the kind of high that beats any other kicks – the kind of addiction that’s actually in your favor. Besides, exercise beats the blues more effectively than anti-depressant medications. This is because working out releases a chemical called “serotonin” that is a “feel good” substance that improves mood.
Increased immunity and mental awareness
There is no second opinion about this one; working out makes you stay mentally alert throughout the day. The boring boardroom meeting, the yawn-inspiring presentation or the brainstorming sessions without the brains working, can all become passé when you hit the gym! A good workout further results in an increase of the natural body defense system, called killer T cells by 50% to 300% which reduce the number of times you get attacked by cold viruses.
Wards off brain-degenerating diseases
Our brain has an area called the hippocampus where new nerve cells grow. This is also the area associated with memory and learning, both of which decline as we age, and in degenerating conditions such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Exercise increases the production of a brain protecting protein called BDNF in the hippocampus, which preserves brain cells and promotes the growth of new nerves, which boosts both memory and learning.
Boosts libido
Exercise improves blood circulation to the genital organs. Besides, it releases endorphins and serotonin that improves mood and energy levels. An increased libido along with a toned body and weight loss are the-not-to-complain-about side-effects of exercise!
Fights insomnia
A study done on sleep deprived people found that vigorous aerobic activity five times a week for five weeks resulted not only in a weight loss of close to 3 kgs, but resulted in all of them sleeping like babies at the end of the study period. The brain receives a signal that it is time to wind down and sleep when the body temperature drops to normal levels after a few hours of exercising.
Creativity unleashed
Professor Lorenza Colzato, cognitive psychologist, studied the effect of exercise on creativity and concluded that those who exercised for four times a week were able to think more creatively than those with a more sedentary lifestyle. So, if you ever hit the writer’s block or the artist’s dilemma, you know what to do!
It can be quite daunting to get started on an ideal exercise program and to sustain it on your own. Get your personalized exercise program designed and monitored by fitness experts simply by looking them up on online portals like Gympik.com and join a center near you. It’s a win-win all the way!
