When we exercise, the heart beats faster and harder, the blood pressure is raised, we breathe faster and more deeply, and the blood vessels supplying the muscles we are using dilate so that greater volumes of blood can be delivered at greater speed to the working muscles.
If we exercise regularly, several times a week, these short-term effects of exercise cause changes that are extremely beneficial:
Exercise makes us fit If we are fit, we can tackle our work and play with energy and enthusiasm. Vacuuming a house can be perceived as a mammoth task if it requires all the energy that it is possible to muster. However, if we are fit, it is a relatively easy task that can be accomplished in a much shorter time.
Exercise makes us strong Specific muscles can be strengthened by regular weight training. This is especially important as we get older and our muscles tend to become weaker. Strength is needed daily in many different tasks, and lack of strength limits us in many ways.
Exercise makes the heart more efficient The workload of the heart muscle is directly proportional to the heart rate and the blood pressure at any given time. Regular aerobic exercise makes the heart into a more efficient pump so that it can pump more blood with each beat. This has the effect of lowering the heart rate at rest and during exercise. Blood pressure is lowered in a similar way. An unfit person climbing two flights of stairs may reach a heart rate of 160 beats per minute and a systolic BP of 160 mm Hg. After two months of training he climbs the same two flights of stairs at the same speed, and reaches a heart rate of 140 bpm and a blood pressure of 140 mm Hg. Thus, he is able to accomplish the same task at the same speed for considerably less workload on the heart.
Exercise has a positive effect on risk factors for coronary artery disease Improves blood cholesterol levels Lowers blood pressure Reduces stress Provides feedback to smokers about the perils of their habit! Improves glucose-insulin balance Assists with weight control Promotes a healthy attitude towards food and life in general
Exercise strengthens bones ligaments and tendons Regular exercise encourages the laying down of connective tissue, which is the basis of these structures. In this way our joints become stronger and less prone to injury, and our bones lose less calcium as we age, so that osteoporosis is prevented.
Exercise improves circulation When muscles work hard on a regular basis, as they do during exercise, new capillaries are formed in these muscles. This also occurs in the heart muscle itself. Changes within the muscle cells also make it possible for greater amounts of oxygen and nutrients to be extracted from the bloodstream and used for the production of energy
Exercise improves Quality of Life If we are fit and strong, we are able to accomplish all sorts of work and leisure tasks. This gives us a sense of achievement and a feeling of self-worth, the key ingredients to feeling that life is good!
When we exercise, the heart beats faster and harder, the blood pressure is raised, we breathe faster and more deeply, and the blood vessels supplying the muscles we are using dilate so that greater volumes of blood can be delivered at greater speed to the working muscles.
