Health
Exercise not only keeps your body healthy, it also has many benefits for your heart.
Exercise creates a host of positive changes in the body that help prevent and improve major risk factors for heart disease, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, and high cholesterol.
Strengthens the heart:
Over time, exercise helps the heart work more efficiently, relax more easily, and pump blood around the body with less effort.
Improves blood vessels:
Exercise improves blood circulation, making blood vessels dilate and become more flexible. This can significantly lower blood pressure, comparable to the effects of some medications.
Positive effects on muscles and metabolism:
When you exercise, your muscles produce a protein that helps the body process sugar more efficiently, making your cells more sensitive to insulin. Here's why exercise helps prevent and treat type 2 diabetes.
Metabolic changes:
Exercise helps reduce visceral fat, which builds up around your organs and is strongly linked to your risk of heart disease. It also helps lower triglycerides and harmful LDL cholesterol.
Brain benefits:
Exercise helps calm the fight-or-flight response, reducing stress and anxiety. Exercise also releases beneficial proteins, like BDNF, which improve mood and thinking ability.