Let’s chat about exercising as an adult. It’s not just about losing weight or changing how you look. That may be one of the many benefits, but let’s break down five top reasons why adult should exercise or include fitness in their daily lives.
1. Prevention of daily aches/pains in the body
As we age, our body naturally loses muscle and strength. To add to the deficit, most of us are doing desk jobs that require sitting for more than 6 hours a day. This leads to our joints becoming very stiff/immobilized resulting in the body sending pain signals to us every time we move. Think of pain as the body saying what you’re doing ain’t working. By working out you keep your joints moving and muscles active, preventing stiffness.
2. Fixes posture
Do you slouch when you sit, or maybe have slouched shoulders when you stand? Bad posture not only looks bad, but it’s also very painful to your body. When your head is too far forward (possibly from sitting in front of the computer too long, or “text neck”) you put additional weight stress on your neck having to hold your head. This causes your upper back muscles, spinal column, and hips to have to adjust based on the stress you do from your posture. When you work out, you are training the body to stay upright, your back muscles support your neck, and your head stays in the correct position.
3. Promotes weight loss
When you exercise you are using both your muscles and heart, which requires energy. Fat is stored energy in the body, and when you exercise more you are choosing to potentially use up the fat stored in your body as an energy source. Doing more exercise means using up energy, resulting in potential fat/weight loss.
4. Strengthens the Heart Muscles
Your heart has muscle too! The heart muscles are known as cardiac muscles. The heart is responsible for pumping blood through the body. As you get better at exercise your body is improving at pumping blood as well, due to the strengthening of the cardiac muscle. The more you exercise, the stronger the heart becomes!
5. Promotes better sleep
Getting a good night’s sleep is one of the most important health components for the body. When we exercise our body’s temperature rises. Once you finish, the body enters a state of recovery decreasing the temperature. The ultimate form of recovery is sleeping. Proper recovery promotes muscle gain, fat loss, and an overall sense of well-being. Also, exercise has been shown to improve the quality of sleep by lessening anxiety-driven thoughts.
At our facility, Compete Sports Performance and Rehab, we offer a variety of services but one of our most popular is our adult fitness classes. Do you live local to Orange County? Come join us! Contact us today for available dates and times for you to come exercise with us!
Chris Phillips is the owner of Compete Sports Performance and Rehab in Orange County, CA. Chris was an Athletic Trainer in the NHL with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and Washington Capitals and was the Athletic Trainer for the Czech Republic Figure Skating team in the 2022 Winter Olympics.