Unknown Benefits of Exercise

I walk every single day for exercise.  We all know exercise can help us lose weight. We might even know that it will make us happier. But there are many other little-known benefits of exercise. Read on to get the scoop.

• It’s Great for Your Brain: Not only can exercising make you happier, it is also good for your brain, working to improve memory and learning. The way it works is still being researched, but scientists have learned that it improves blood flow to the brain, feeding the growth of new blood vessels and even new brain cells.

• It Can Help You Recover from Major Illness: Research is emerging that exercise can be beneficial to people suffering from different chronic conditions. This is a pretty revolutionary discovery as it was once thought that people with chronic conditions should refrain from exercising. Now it is being looked at as a way to promote recovery after major surgeries and even cancer treatments.

• Slows Down Aging: Telomeres are protective caps on the end of chromosomes that get shorter as cells divide during the aging process. Exercise increases the level of a molecule that protects telomeres, so they don’t shorten as quickly. This works to slow aging at a molecular level and can increase life span up to five years.

I know sometimes it’s hard to motivate when it comes to exercise.But try to think of the big picture (beyond weight loss) and use that as motivation to get moving!