Regular exercise and physical activity are extremely important and beneficial for long-term health and well-being. Hundreds of studies show that, besides helping to control your weight, exercise lowers your risk for serious health problems. These include heart disease, diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure, as well as some forms of cancer.
What’s more, it can enhance your mood, improve your sleep and boost your sex life. Put simply, exercise and fitness helps you feel better, look great, and live a longer and more satisfied life.
This section will provide more detail about the benefits you can expect from regular exercise and fitness. It also provides you with a comprehensive list of medical conditions that can be prevented or managed with an effective and targeted fitness plan.
To motivate you to get started, there’s a section to help you create a well-rounded exercise plan that fits your life. It details the right blend of exercises to undertake and why they’re good for you. With an exercise plan in place, you can choose the best gyms in Dubai and gyms in Abu Dhabi via our Find & Book search engine.
Regardless of your age, sex and physical ability, regular exercise can offer a wide range of benefits. It’s a wonderful way to boost your mood, gain health benefits and have fun in the process. Generally, most people should aim for 30 minutes of exercise every day. Though remember to check with your doctor before starting a new fitness program, especially if you have any health concerns.
Mayo Clinic explains seven ways exercise can improve your life:
While exercise programs often vary from person to person based on fitness levels and goals, current recommendations urge all adults to include aerobic exercise, and resistance and flexibility training. This section also includes information on relaxation exercises, because while the science supporting their benefits is not as plentiful and well-established, the available evidence does suggest many health benefits. It isn't necessary to fit each of these elements into every fitness session, but factoring them into your regular routine can help you promote fitness for life.
Aerobic exercises, also known as cardio or endurance activities, are great for burning calories and eliminating unwanted fat. Aerobic exercises include any physical activity that uses large muscle groups and increases your heart rate. Some examples are walking, jogging, biking or swimming. Engaging in aerobic exercises temporarily boosts your heart rate and breathing, allowing more oxygen to reach your muscles. These are the activities that are associated with lower risk for many diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, and lengthening life span. Aerobic exercise should be the centerpiece of your fitness program, since the bulk of research on disease-quelling benefits of exercise revolves around cardiovascular activity. Aim for at least 2 ½ hours a week of moderate aerobic activity or 1 ¼ hours a week of vigorous aerobic activity.
Resistance or strength training, at least twice a week, builds muscle and protects against bone loss. Technically, strength or resistance training takes place any time your muscles face a stronger-than-usual counterforce, such as pushing against a wall or lifting a dumbbell. Resistance training typically involves the use of equipment such as weight machines, free weights and resistance bands. Your own body weight counts too, such as push-ups, abdominal crunches and leg squats. Using progressively heavier weights or increasing resistance makes muscles stronger.
Flexibility exercises like stretching, yoga and pilates gently reverse the shortening and tightening of muscles that typically occur with disuse and age. Shorter, stiffer muscle fibers may make you vulnerable to injuries and contribute to back pain and balance problems. A well-stretched muscle more easily achieves its full range of motion and promotes better posture. Regular flexibility training can even help relieve stress. Before you stretch, warm up by doing a low intensity exercise for 5 to 10 minutes. Better yet, stretch after you exercise, when your muscles are warm and receptive to stretching. To achieve lasting effects, stretch daily or at least several times a week.
Relaxation exercises like meditation are not a component of every exercise or fitness program. They do, however, reduce stress and often improve a person’s quality of life and health. Consider incorporating some disciplines, such as yoga, tai chi and pilates, into your fitness program. These disciplines simultaneously improve strength, flexibility and balance while easing stress and relieving pain.
Regular exercise and physical activity are extremely important for long term health and well-being. Research shows that regular physical activity can help reduce your risk for several diseases and health conditions and improve your overall quality of life. These include:
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