What Are The Benefits of Movement?
Movement for mind and body!
You wouldn’t have thought that something as simple as moving your body could have such profound benefits on your physical and mental health, but it does.
It turns out that activating your muscles and engaging in regular activity activates biological systems that help you achieve higher well-being.
We’re not talking about a lot of movement, either. Just five to ten minutes per day is enough to get many of the benefits listed below.
Speaking of benefits; what are they?
1. It Relieves Pain
It might sound like a contradiction, but it turns out that movement is an excellent pain-reliever.
Many chronic conditions, such as arthritis, get worse when you forgo movement. All the connective tissue becomes stiffer, making it more difficult to exercise in the future. The only way to break the cycle is to engage in some movement to get the blood flowing to the region and encouraging it to heal.
2. It Reduces Fatigue
Movement is the last thing you want when you’re fatigued.
Surely it would make you feel even more tired, right?
Again, common sense doesn’t work in this situation. People who move more tend to feel less tired overall. In other words, exercise can help you get more done in the day.
3. It Reduces Depression
Research suggests that doing regular exercise - perhaps just twenty minutes per day - is as effective at combating depression as the leading antidepressants.
And what’s more - there are only good side effects from physical activity. You’ll lower your cholesterol, improve your blood pressure, and improve your bone density.
4. It Helps You Look Better
Humans are supposed to move. Our ancestors spent many hours of the day hunting, foraging, and preparing camp.
In the modern world, we’ve somewhat lost our way. We spend most of the day sitting down, hunched over computers, or watching the TV. That’s not conducive to looking good at all.
Once you start moving, you notice improvements in your appearance. All of a sudden, your face looks fresher, your body is slimmer, and your muscles look more toned.
Some people look like they’ve “de-aged” after enjoying regular movement, looking like they did years ago.
5. It Improves Your Love Life
If you’re unhappy with the state of your love life, regular exercise can help. Not only does it improve your libido, but it also boosts performance in the bedroom. It can turn bedtime from something you dread into a much more enjoyable activity.
6. It Enhances Your Immune System
Exercise may be able to improve your immune system too.
Researchers have found that people who get regular movement have more active antibody-producing white blood cells. Extra blood flow during exercise transports these cells around the body more effectively, getting them to the site of infection faster.
There is also fascinating research indicating the higher body temperatures during exercise may help stave off disease too - just like a fever. So, when you’re sweating after some primal play, you’re actually protecting yourself from viruses and bacteria.
7. It Improves Your Mood
Lastly, there is ample evidence that movement dramatically improves your mood. A quick ten-minute walk can leave you feeling refreshed and much more content about life.