Once on Track You’ll Feel Better! The Importance of Regular Exercise

Regular-Exercise

Exercise is an effective treatment for depression

A recent study published in the Journal of Psychiatric Practice found that exercise can be as effective as antidepressant drugs for major depressive disorders. Helping patients find an exercise program that aids their recovery is an important part of my treatment plan.

Changing from a sedentary lifestyle to an active one may be one of the most important, lifestyle changes you can make to improve your well-being. There are a number of things a person can do to take better care of him or herself. While eating right is a step in the right direction, regular exercise is also key to losing weight and keeping it off. Following a work out regime is important for everyone’s health, even people who aren’t trying to lose weight.

Exercise takes many forms. What is important is to develop a program that you well follow for the long run and that fits your lifestyle and physical needs. This can be walking or running, swimming, or working out at a gym. Some people need the social connection, motivation and structure of an exercise class. Some people feel the need for a personal trainer. Whatever you choose the benefits are great.

Regular-ExerciseFour short term benefits of regular exercise:

  1. Stronger lungs. Unlike those dreamed-of abs, you can’t see this kind of muscle tone, but stronger lungs from cardio exercise will send more oxygen to your muscles making you feel less fatigued.
  2. Burn more calories–even when you’re not working out! The chief science officer for the American Council on Exercise reports that every 100 calories burned during exercise improves your body’s metabolism so that you burn an extra 15 calories during the hour after your workout.
  3. Amp up your immune system. Exercise stimulates the body to produce immunoglobins, those proteins that help ward off infection. Keep hitting the gym when flu season rolls around again!
  4. Peace of mind: regular exercise improves your mental health, reducing your risk of depression through increased flow of serotonin, dopamine, and other mood-boosting chemicals in the brain. Keeping on track with your fitness also helps you retain your mental sharpness as you age.

The importance of physical activity doesn’t stop there! Other than looking trimmer, here are some benefits of regular exercise you can look forward to down the road.

Four long term benefits of regular exercise:Regular-Exercise

  1. Decreased risk of diabetes or more easily managed diabetes. Regular exercise means more stable blood glucose levels among people who already have Type 2 diabetes. At risk? Being physically active can help lower this risk because it improves cholesterol, blood pressure, and manages blood sugar and triglycerides.
  2. Lower your heart rate and lower your risk of heart disease and stroke in proportion to how much of an active lifestyle you lead. Thrice-weekly workouts is not a high price to pay to dramatically decrease your risk of two of the leading causes of death among Americans!
  3. Stronger bones and muscles: start working out today to prepare for a healthier future. Especially important to women, strength-training exercise lowers your risk of osteoporosis.
  4. Increased Life-Span. Did you know that just thirty minutes of cardio, three to five times a week, can add six years to your life? This information comes from research done at the Cooper Clinic in Dallas.

Exercise as an Addiction

At the other end of the spectrum, exercise can be overdone. Exercising excessively can be a form of addictive behavior that is as a way of avoiding feelings. Excess exercise has been shown to be as damaging as no exercise to the cardiovascular system.   It’s important to recognize any addictive behavior, avoid burnout, and deal with the underlying feelings that might propel over exercise. This can help bring life back into balance and avoid doing physical damage.

 
David Shanks, LCSW is a therapist in Carrboro/Chapel Hill

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