Dr. Sushmita Misra

Some of the advantages of exercising regularly are known to all and these include weight loss and better blood circulation. However, the benefits of exercise aren’t just limited to the obvious. A few other not so obvious as well as a few surprising reasons are mentioned as follows.

1. Corrects your posture: Having a good posture is much more than just aesthetics. A good or bad posture determines your overall health in many ways. Having bad posture may result in localized problems, such as spinal deformities and vertigo among others and may also lead to muscles loss over a prolonged period. Exercising helps in improving your posture by strengthening bones and muscles in your back as well as the spine.

2. Improves memory: One of the not so obvious benefits of exercising is that it improves your memory. The connection may not seem so obvious, but exercising also improves blood circulation and supply of oxygen to all the body parts including the brain, which results in better memory.

3. Helps maintain and improve the immune system: The immune system within your body helps fight all the intruders and toxins that may cause an infection or illness. Exercising not only helps to maintain it, but boost it as well. As a result, you will fall sick less often and your immunity will stay strong even as you age.

4. Ensures your bones remain strong: Bone loss and other related disorders are a fact of life and become more pronounced as you age. However, exercising can curb the rate of decay and help in making your bones stronger. It is important to know that bone strengthening exercises are not the same for all ages and they need to be adapted as per the requirement.

5. Helps you have better sex: Exercising will help improve your blood circulation, muscle mass, mood and will keep you active. The endocrine glands are forced to work harder to produce hormones to maintain muscle mass and this also contributes to better sexual functioning. Exercising will help keep your sex drive high and help you have better sex by keeping you fit.

6. Ensures better sleep: Many of the sleep related disorders caused in the body are due to inactivity and lack of physical exertion. Once you start exercising, the physical exertion will help you get to sleep and also regulate your circadian rhythm or daily sleep and wake cycles.

7. Reduces stress and anxiety: Exercising releases endorphins which help improve your mood and help in reducing stress and anxiety. This in turn can help reduce hypertension and blood pressure, thus helping in controlling other related disorders.

8. Builds confidence: Exercising will improve your overall appearance and thus, help you have more confidence due to a better body image. However, it also helps by making you feel accomplished as you incrementally push your physical limits while exercising. This will spill over into every aspect of your life and help you be successful or deal with failure better. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a General Physician.