Most successful people have learned to develop good habits. Sometimes this takes discipline, maybe even courage and work on a daily basis to keep those habits in place. Experts recommend to start small, be consistent, and create a supportive environment. You can also try using reminders, tracking your progress, and rewarding yourself. Whatever the method, there needs to be awareness and desire.

It is vital to develop healthy habits for optimal wellness. Start with a resolve to incorporate more movement and physical activity into each day. Movement keeps a body healthy, so walk, run, take an exercise class, ride a bike, or hike. Do whatever physical activity that you can on a daily basis for movement to become a habit and a lifestyle. You will reap the benefits!

Here are some of the effects exercise can have:

● Brain – Scientists link the benefits of physical exercise to brain health. The evidence shows that physical exercise helps build a brain that resists shrinkage and increases cognitive abilities. Exercise encourages your brain to work at optimum capacity by causing your nerve cells to multiply, strengthening their interconnections and protecting them from damage.

● Mood – Exercise triggers endorphins that help boost your mood, make you feel good and sharpen your cognition.

● Bones – Physical activity, especially weight bearing exercise, helps maintain healthy bone mass as you get older. In fact, this is one of the most effective remedies against osteoporosis.

● Heart – As heart rate increases with physical activity, more oxygenated blood goes to your muscles. The more fit that you are, the more efficiently your heart can do this, allowing you to work out longer and harder. As a side effect, this increased efficiency will also reduce your resting heart rate. Your blood pressure will also decrease as a result of new blood vessels forming.

● Lungs – The breathing rate increases as muscles call for more oxygen -as much as 15 times more oxygen than when at rest. Once the muscles surrounding your lungs cannot move any faster, you’ve reached the VO2 max—your maximum capacity of oxygen use. The higher your VO2 max, the fitter you are.

● Improved Sleep – The entire body’s mind, heart, lungs, bones, muscles will benefit from a good night’s sleep brought on by exercise.

 

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