Most successful people have learned to develop good habits. Sometimes this takes discipline, maybe even courage and work on a daily basis to keep those habits in place. Dr. Maxwell Maltz’s work on self-image had people believing that 21 days can form a habit. Whatever the method, there usually needs to be awareness and desire.
It makes perfect sense for us to adopt healthy habits for optimal wellness, yet why are some so difficult to adopt? Here is very basic information to bring awareness to a very basic need for a healthy body – movement, physical activity. Movement keeps a body healthy so walk, run, take an exercise class, ride a bike, hike, etc. Do whatever physical activity that you can incorporate on a weekly basis for movement to become a habit and a lifestyle. You will reap the benefits!
Healthy Bodies Need Physical Activity
- Brain – Scientists link the benefits of physical exercise to brain health. The evidence shows that physical exercise helps build a brain that resists shrinkage and increases cognitive abilities. Exercise encourages your brain to work at optimum capacity by causing your nerve cells to multiply, strengthening their interconnections and protecting them from damage.
- Mood – BDNF and endorphins are two of the factors triggered by exercise that help boost your mood, make you feel good and sharpen your cognition.
- Bones – Exercise helps maintain healthy bone mass as you get older and weight-bearing exercise is one of the most effective remedies against osteoporosis. Bones are very porous and soft and become less dense and brittle if you are inactive.
- Heart – As heart rate increases with physical activity, more oxygenated blood goes to your muscles. The fitter you are, the more efficiently your heart can do this, allowing you to work out longer and harder. As a side effect, this increased efficiency will also reduce your resting heart rate. Your blood pressure will also decrease as a result of new blood vessels forming.
- Lungs – The breathing rate increases as muscles call for more oxygen -as much as 15 times more oxygen than when at rest. Once the muscles surrounding your lungs cannot move any faster, you’ve reached the VO2 max—your maximum capacity of oxygen use. The higher your VO2 max, the fitter you are.
- Improved Sleep – The entire body’s mind, heart, lungs, bones, muscles will benefit from a good night’s sleep brought on by exercise.
Contact New England Center For Chronic Pain for the path of optimal wellness!
