Exercise and your health!!!!!

Exercise, which includes any physical activity, helps you look and feel better, your posture, stamina and energy levels improve. Regular exercise also combats chronic health conditions like heart disease, osteoporosis, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, besides depression and stress.

BENEFITS OF EXERCISE:
1. Reduces the risk of heart disease
2. Lowers blood pressure levels.
3. Decreases bad cholesterol (LDL) and increases good cholesterol (HDL)
4. Reduces the risk of osteoporosis
5. Promotes weight loss.
6. Helps de-stress and improve immunity levels.

TYPES OF EXRECISE:
1.Cardiovascular exercise: Cardiovascular exercise (which includes aerobic exercise) burns calories, promotes blood circulation and strengthens the heart. It is a low impact routine which places minimum stress on the joints and is safe and effective. For e.g. swimming, jogging, cycling.
2. Strength training: Weight-bearing exercise plays an important role in maintaining the bone density and keeping the body strong. Examples include push-ups, sit-ups or exercises using weights, machines or resistance bands.
3. Flexibility training: Flexibility exercises help to keep the body supple, flexible and free from muscular stress. Good choices are Yoga, stretching exercises, etc.

EXERCISE AND DISEASE:
1. Arthritis: The most important exercises are stretching exercises to preserve range of motion and flexibility around each joint. Strength training exercises using light weights is also an excellent ways to build bone strength. Low impact cardiovascular exercises such as cycling, swimming and walking are also very useful.

2. Osteoporosis: Weight-bearing exercises are recommended to specially improve bone strength. They not only improve calcium absorption in the bone but also stimulate bone formation. A simple example of weight bearing exercise is walking.

3. Heart Disease: Exercise makes the heart fitter and stronger, helping it to pump more blood with each heartbeat. Aerobic exercises such as walking, jogging, swimming, running an bicycling are ideal for improving functioning of the heart. Physical inactivity may be the major cause of heart disease. Exercise can reduce excess body weight, reduce total cholesterol levels, increase good cholesterol and lower high blood pressure.

4. Diabetes: Proper diet and exercise plan which includes moderate levels of cardiovascular exercise and strength training with minimum resistance (light weights), which also includes yoga and pranayama helps to effectively control diabetes. Exercise is also important since it improves glucose regulation.

5. Hypertension: Exercise is an important aspect in controlling high blood pressure. Regular low-impact aerobic exercise can significantly reduce both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Weight training exercises using light resistances are the best when it comes to maintain the blood pressure in a healthy range.

EXERCISE AND THE MIND:
Exercise peps up our mood and helps us feel more positive since it gets blood flowing to the brain. This includes any physical activity be it yoga, breathing techniques (pranayama), stretching exercises, running or martial arts. Exercise is a great outlet for physical stress. Rest is one of the most important factor when it comes to successful exercising as the body needs adequate rest to avoid possibility of physical and mental burn out. Rest also helps the muscles, to recuperate from stress of exercise.