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Everyone will undergo the process of birth, old age, illness and death. But how can you live a longer and healthier life? When you are getting older, your diet, emotion, daily lifestyle and exercise significantly influence your health more than ever.
Many people never take the trouble to exercise. Some even confessed their daily works make them feel very tired. They no longer have the extra energy for regular exercise. This is indeed something to be worry about!
Active vs Static
Actually, human body structures and functions are not meant to be static but are active in nature. Your bones, muscles, heart and blood capillaries need to be stimulated in order to maintain their proper functions.
Your hand and leg muscles are used only when you walk or carry objects. However, your limbs also have other function such as enhancing oxygen intake.
When you are exercising your limbs, the rate of metabolism and oxygen utilization increases. Therefore, blood vessels in your limbs will be dilated and blood flow increases.
In addition, oxygen intake by your body also increases, which is required to burn fats and sugar. This promotes your heart and lung function as well as liver detoxification process. Hence, you will definitely become healthier and more energetic with regular exercise.
Exercise safety
Have you stopped exercising for a long time? There are some side effects you must take note. You may experience muscle pain, joint injury, high blood pressure or faster heart palpitation when you resume exercise again.
In another word, you must exercise according to your own physical strength. Start with light exercise. Remember not to set a goal too high for youself.
For people who are very fat, their lungs and heart will have to sustain higher pressure than ordinary person. So they must be diagnosed by doctor before they can find suitable exercise for themselves.
What are the basic benefits of exercise?
1) Prevents various infectious diseases
2) Increases vitality
3) For weight loss
4) Reduces mental pressure
5) Slow down ageing process
What about benefits of exercise towards ageing process?
Exercise benefits on Cardiovascular system
As you progress from age 25 to 65, the rate of oxygen absorption will be reduced by 30%. At the same time, blood vessels elasticity also reduces. The blood vessels will become narrower with higher blood flow obstruction.
Usually after the age of 40, for every increment of 10 years, the rate of blood vessel shrinkage will be increased by 10 mm Hg. Consistent exercise will reduce blood fats level and various cardiovascular diseases.
At the same time, it helps to promote cardiac muscles function and strengthen cardiovascular system's adaptability with extra pressure.
Exercise benefits on Locomotive System
Satisfactory amount of exercise can increase muscle elasticity and muscle distending. At the same time, it also helps to strengthen your bone endurance and enhance blood flow inside the bone.
Your bones will have enough nutrition with higher bone density. Even if you reach the age of 80s, mineral contents in your bone will be still high with proper exercise.
Your muscles will also undergo changes as you progress in age. For a man in his 30s, his muscles constitute to almost 40 to 45% of his total weight. But for an old man, it is only about 25%.
In another word, your muscle will shrink with lesser strength as you age. With this, you will become tired very fast. However, exercise helps to maintain your muscles at certain level of flexibility.
Exercise benefits on Respiratory System
As you age, your respiratory muscles will shrink and your lung tissue elasticity will reduce. Eventually, you will become more sensitive towards lack of oxygen.
At the height of more than 2100 meters, you may react to oxygen deficiency. Consistent exercise will assist in maintaining proper elasticity of your lung tissues so that you can breathe better.
Exercise benefits on Nervous system
Nerve cells will wither or die with ageing. Most of the elderly people between the age of 70 and 90 will have their nerve cells reduced by 20 to 45%. Meanwhile, brain weight also reduces by 6.6 to 11%. The brain's cortical substance size will reduce by 10% while blood flow rate is reduced by 17%
Hence, the nervous regulatory ability is weaker and they become more retarded with poorer memory and analytical power. They will also feel more tired than usual.
Appropriate amount of exercise can increase the strength of cortical substance nervous activities as well as increase its flexibility.
Final word on exercise
One of the greatest German doctors of the 19th century once said: "None of the lazy persons in this world could live long. All those who could live long are those who aggressively participate in activities".
To become healthier and enjoy better life, you must cultivate the habit of doing more exercise everyday. Only you can create better health for yourself!
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