5 benefits of exercise for brain and body function you probably didn't know:

Today we will be discussing some positive symptoms of a typical person who creates enough time within their week for healthy exercise. We know not everyone has the time or even wants to find the time to apply themselves to regular exercise, but we’re here today, in hopes to motivate you a little more to achieve that physique you want.

1. Making exercise a habit anywhere from 3-7x a week can drastically increase your metabolic baseline.

As you start to gain more muscle through exercise, your metabolism starts to speed up as it needs more calories to feed the muscles effectively. Over time the metabolic baseline will increase the normal amount of calories burned while resting. In other words you will burn more calories while not working out. Simply from making exercise a regular habit week-to-week.

2. Consistent exercise helps increases peace of mind and fight against neurodegeneration.

According to a study (linked below) published in 2018 it was found that not only does exercise increase your mood during and for an effect after the workout, ‘Much evidence shows that physical exercise (PE) is a strong gene modulator that induces structural and functional changes in the brain, determining enormous benefit on both cognitive functioning and wellbeing. PE is also a protective factor for neurodegeneration’

This means that exercise makes your brain get young and stay young while also becoming more efficient.

3. Exercise can increase absorption rate of foods and nutrients, production rate of hormones.

Habitual P.E has been shown to increase the digestive tract health, the rate and type of hormones being produced, plus absorption rate of nutrients. Using a study from 2019 by the American College of Sports Medicine, they found the following results; ‘Exercise reduces transit time in the large intestine and has been shown to accelerate the movement of gas through the gastrointestinal (GI) tract’

4. Increasing your V02 max will drastically increase your lifespan

According to a few sources (including beloved Joe Rogan and his podcast guests), studies are showing that having a high V02 system is connected directly to quality heart health. Your V02 max is the volume of oxygen you can gain and maintain during an increasingly high-intense exercise. The best example would be sprinting. Sprinting involves maximum effort for a short period of time. The person running is gulping the air attempting to get more to the muscles, which results in the most amount of oxygen you can take in. Having a very high v02 system is said to potentially increase lifespan by up to 5–10x (typically dependent on other bodily/genetic factors).

Although the Vo2 max is hard to calculate, increasing it for a healthier cardiovascular system is as easy as running with the high-intensity intention. Doing this for shorts bursts (also known as High Intensity Interval Training or H.I.I.T) will surely increase your personal max.

5. Low-impact Stretching and mobility work sends synovial fluid to your joints and the cartilage surrounding it, strengthening it.

studies that prove rehabilitation type low-impact weight training for joint health is very beneficial.

Many names within the fitness community are promoting mobility strength training as the ‘key’ to healthy joints, high functioning athleticism and injury prevention. Examples of these exercises include the ATG split squat, the Jefferson curl, Nordic hamstring curl etc.

Lightly Loading movements which hinge on joints, can produce stronger and more protective joints over time.

Sources:

Mailing, Lucy J.1; Allen, Jacob M.2; Buford, Thomas W.3; Fields, Christopher J.4; Woods, Jeffrey A.1,5 Exercise and the Gut Microbiome: A Review of the Evidence, Potential Mechanisms, and Implications for Human Health, Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews: April 2019 - Volume 47 - Issue 2 - p 75-85 doi: 10.1249/JES.0000000000000183

Mandolesi, Laura, et al. “Effects of Physical Exercise on Cognitive Functioning and Wellbeing: Biological and Psychological Benefits.” Frontiers in Psychology, Frontiers Media S.A., 27 Apr. 2018, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5934999/.