Importance of regular exercise

Have you ever imagined a life where you don’t brush your teeth daily or take a bath regularly- you can’t as these have become our reflex activities, we don’t have to remember doing them. Similarly, regular physical exercise should form our reflex activity. We will discuss the importance of regular exercise here thoroughly.

Why do we need to exercise regularly?

For the simple reason, that it is only by exercise our entire body functions in a synchronised way- which goes a long way in helping you fit and healthy.

Our primary focus will be on the benefits of exercise in adults here.

The minimum duration of exercise should be at least 150 minutes a week of moderate physical exercise spreads over 5-7 days. The ideal duration should be 250 minutes a week.

What are the types of exercise which give maximum benefits?

Most commonly-

Walking at more than your normal speed
Running
Jogging
Swimming
Cycling

These are also called endurance exercise.

Another form of exercise which should also be done is muscle training exercises, which are commonly termed as freehand exercises.

Now that we are facing home confinement the easiest way would be to download one of the many apps in your phone and get guidance from the virtual trainers.

It is surprising to note that daily exercise should be our routine activity and doesn’t incur any cost, still, only 1 in 5 adults exercise regularly.

Health benefits of the exercise

Now let us discuss the health benefits of the exercise

Reduces the incidence of diabetes and better control of blood sugar in diabetic patients
It reduces the incidence of having high BP and also serves as a treatment of high BP
Reduces bad cholesterol (LDL) and increases good cholesterol (HDL)
Even reduces the incidence of some cancers
Your chances of developing Forgetfulness known as Dementia decreases as you age. This is for all of us
Reduces the incidence of heart block and heart attack

So the message I want to convey We can’t afford to sit continuously for more than half an hour. Don’t lead a sedentary ( sitting) lifestyle. live long and healthy

Author– Dr Debdatta Majumdar,

M.B.B.S- Calcutta University, MD Medicine(Cal)(Gold Medalist), DM Cardiology(Cal), MRCP(London)