After another 6 week hiatus from high intensity aerobic exercise, it feels great to be sweating again. After surgery to fix a hernia and other triplet pregnancy mishaps, my doctor recently gave me the clear to start running and weight training again. Since I was walking regularly within days of my surgery, I have bounced back to my old exercise routine quickly. It is amazing what exercising a few days/week; (and I’m not talking a brisk walk; I’m talking sweat running down your face and the feeling that you just can’t push any harder) can do for your sleep, energy levels, and overall well-being. We all know the amazing health benefits of lowered blood pressure, increased insulin sensitivity and decreased risk of heart disease with exercise. However, the benefits to an apparent “healthy” individual are also priceless. I assure you as “magical” as exercise seems to be, a basic understanding of exercise physiology explains it all. Let’s look at a couple examples:
1. Exercise is a stress-reliever - Exercise sends messages to your brain to release stress-fighting neurotransmitters and hormones such as adrenaline, which gives you an immediate “high”. A daily abundance of these hormones can lead to exhaustion. However, with regular exercise overall daily levels of these hormones, as well as the stress hormone cortisol are lowered.
2. Exercise increases your energy throughout the day - Aerobic exercise actually increases the number of mitochondria in your cell. These are the “power-houses” of cell and are responsible for producing ATP (energy). In addition, exercise increases your stroke volume resulting in a decreased resting heart rate. Your heart is having to work less during rest. Feel like you have more energy during the day when you are exercising regularly, you do!
3. Exercise turns you into a fat burning machine – Strength training builds muscles by increasing the size of muscle fibers. Muscles take an amazing amount of energy to maintain. Rather than storing extra calories as fat, muscles use the calories to maintain their new “build”. In addition, you actually increase the function of enzymes responsible for transporting and digesting fat such as Co-A, and carnatine transferase. So, truly you are a fat burning machine.
4. Exercise helps you sleep better – People who exercise fall asleep faster, sleep more soundly are less likely to suffer from insomnia. Going back to point 1, people who exercise have lower levels of cortisol and other stress hormones that can disturb sleep. In addition, some research suggests exercise promotes a natural rise and fall in body temperature that stimulates restful sleep.
The benefits of exercise easily take up volumes of books. The reasons are scientifically clear. We all know exercise is good for us but let’s not forget why. We are actually physiologically transforming our bodies and our minds into an overall stronger, healthier, and better biological system. It is no wonder exercise appears so “magical”.
References:
Sleep Medicine Reviews, Volume 4, Issue 4, Pages 387-402
J Physiol (2006) 571: 201-10
The Journal of Biological Chemistry, May 10, 1967,242: 2278-2282.
