Our fitness instructor Suzanne with 10 reasons to get moving

The most drawn out month of the year, January is now behind us.

January no doubt brought about pledges of New Year Resolutions, many of which I suspect would have been Health and Fitness related.

So how many of you have actually stuck to them?

Has your experience of January been one in which you’re still waiting to get off the starting blocks? If so, perhaps you’re just looking for some meaningful motivation? Please read the article below that my fitness professional friend put together for her class members at Tracey Telfer Fitness in Whitehaven.

A hard-hitting list of the serious health benefits that exercise brings (or alternatively the health risks that a lack of exercise can bring). There’s nothing more important than our health – and remember, it’s NEVER too late; after all, February can always be your new January!

Have a great February!

Suzanne xx

10 POWERFUL Reasons to Get Moving.

1. Longevity

People who are physically active generally live longer.

2. New brain cells development

Exercise stimulates the formation of new brain cells (neurons). Also, exercise strengthens connections between those cells. The areas of the brain that are stimulated through exercise are associated with memory and learning.

3. Cognitive and mental function enhancement

Physical activity improves cognitive performance, information processing and may delay cognitive impairment and dementia. For instance, older people who are involved in regular physical work, exercise or other activity perform better in tests which require them to use their memory, solve problems and make decisions.

And what about children? University of Illinois researchers. have found that physical activity may enhance the academic achievements of children by improving their attention and working memory skills.

4. Prevention of cardiovascular disease

There is a direct relationship between lack of physical activity and increased risk of cardiovascular disease..Regular physical activity makes your heart, like any other muscle, stronger. A stronger heart can pump more blood with less effort. Regular exercise protects from heart disease by lowering blood pressure, increasing levels of good HDL cholesterol, reducing levels of bad LDL cholesterol, and preventing blood clots formation.

5. Cholesterol-lowering effect

Physical exercise favourably influences blood cholesterol levels by decreasing LDL cholesterol, triglycerides and total cholesterol and increasing HDL cholesterol. Physical exercise positively alters cholesterol metabolism by increasing the production and action of several enzymes in the muscles and liver that function to convert some of the cholesterol to a more favourable form, such as HDL-cholesterol.

6. Prevention and control of type 2 diabetes

There is strong evidence that moderate physical activity combined with weight loss and balanced diet can reduce the risk of developing diabetes in high-risk individuals by 50-60%. People with impaired glucose regulation may delay the onset of type 2 diabetes or prevent it altogether by doing regular physical exercise as it improves their insulin resistance and glucose tolerance.

7. Blood pressure lowering

The ways by which exercise can cause a reduction in blood pressure are unclear, but all forms of exercise seem to be effective in reducing blood pressure. Regular exercise may decrease blood pressure in overweight and obese persons even without changes in body weight. Aerobic exercise produces slightly greater blood pressure lowering effect in people with hypertension than in people with normal blood pressure. Low physical activity increases the risk of hypertension.

8. Prevention of neoplastic (cancer) diseases

Evidence exists that physical activity may be associated with a lower risk of several common forms of cancer, most notably colon and breast cancer.

9. Reduced risk of stroke

Research data indicates that moderate and high levels of physical activity may reduce the risk of total, ischemic, and haemorrhagic strokes20.

This is extremely important for people aged 40 and more, as stroke risk may be lowered by as much as 50 per cent in people who engage in regular physical activity and as a result have better physical function.

10. Muscle strength

Clinical studies repeatedly show that strength training increases muscle strength and decreases body fat.

tracey@traceytelferfitness.com