Living A Better Life Essay Example
Exercise is an important aspect in a person’s everyday life. Though many are aware of this, they may not know the reason for this, or what exercise can actually do for them. Engaging in physical activity, or the lack of it, can either improve a person’s well-being, or slowly negatively impact them. There are numerous benefits to exercising. Being physically active in the long run, will help a person lose weight, increase brain health along with memory, and overall help them live a happier life.
Starting with a couple of minutes a day, a person’s body can slowly start to customize itself to being active. The goal of this is to eventually work up to working out at least half an hour most days out of the week. By doing this, a person will gain the full benefits that come from exercising. Anything we eat consists of a certain number of calories. A person’s daily calorie intake depends on whether one is a male or a female. An average woman should eat 2000 calories a day to stay at the same weight, and 1500 calories to lose a pound a week. Men on the other hand can eat up to 2500 calories a day, and 2000 calories if they want to drop a pound a week. Exercise helps in the sense that it burns the extra calories that a body takes in. WebMD stated that “Exercise pays off in the long run by keeping those pounds off. Research shows that regular activity will increase your chances of maintaining weight loss” in an article titled “Exercise and Weightless”.
A human brain is affected by physical activity. “Exercise stimulates the brain plasticity by stimulating growth of new connections between cells in a wide array of important cortical areas of the brain”. Because of the increased growth, the brain is then able to more easily grow new neural connections. Physical exercise also helps increase an individual’s cognitive functioning. This all depends on the amount of time a person spent being active, and the exercise style they engaged in. For example, if a person decides to go to a cycling class rather than running, their brain activity is enhanced during and after the workout. An activity that requires physical and mental demands has been proved to have a higher impact on cognitive functioning versus doing a workout with on the physical demand or doing something that only requires mental tasks alone. With this being said, the best workouts to aid brain health are those that mix different parts of the brain dealing with coordination, rhythm, and style.
Happiness is another factor that comes from exercising. When a person exercises regularly, chemicals known as endorphin, catecholamines, and dopamine are released from the brain. Endorphin, and catecholamines are known to make a person “feel good”. While dopamine is a neurotransmitter that decreases feelings leading to depression and raises their mood. “Studies have confirmed that exercise has the ability to reduce the number of symptoms related to depression, anxiety and stress by providing a short term distraction and increasing feelings of control”. Usually once people complete their workouts, they tend to feel calm and relaxed having let go of the negative energy prior to starting. These workouts do not necessarily have to follow other people’s, but instead consist of an activity that they truly like and find joy in, allowing them to keep pushing towards their ultimate goal. Afterall, being physically active is not only about keeping the body healthy but the mind happy as well.
In conclusion, a person who remains physically active throughout their lifetime is positively impacted in many aspects. Exercise can help remove the extra pounds a person is carrying, or help them maintain a healthy weight. Another benefit to this is a person’s brain activity is enhanced, depending on the different workouts a person decides to take on. Some help a person make neural connections more easily, while others aid in cognitive functioning. Lastly it helps a person feel happier, chemicals known as endorphin and catecholamines are released, they are recognized to make a person “feel good”.
Work Cited
“Benefits of Exercise.” Mental Help Benefits of Exercise Comments, www.mentalhelp.net/exercise/.
“Exercise and Weight Loss.” WebMD, WebMD, www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/guide/exercise-weight-control.
“Physical Exercise for Brain Health.” BrainHQ from Posit Science, www.brainhq.com/brain-resources/everyday-brain-fitness/physical-exercise/.
