Reasons to exercise

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Regular workouts help you resist and recover from ageing diseases.

Research shows that regular workouts not only keep you fit but also the body recover from life-threatening diseases. But workouts need to be geared to your body type and fitness level. If you’re overweight or have high blood pressure you should check with your GP that the exercise you plan is the right one. You may want to start off with a vigorous walk. Keeping fit can also help regulate blood sugar and cholesterol, take off excess pounds and help with stress. Exercise also encourages the production of the human growth hormone, the decline of which contributes to ageing.

Most sports involve an element of risk especially if you are not fit at the start. These include sprains and strains (Achilles tendons are particularly vulnerable, in sports such as running or tennis), eye injuries (in fast ball games such as squash) to heart attacks and strokes. The ideal exercise programme is one that boosts cardiovascular (heart/ lung) fitness, improves flexibility and strength, relaxes you, burns fat and maintains bone mass – and that means a mixed fitness programme of an aerobic exercise with stretching such as Pilates or yoga. On sunny days you should use a UVA sunscreen.

10 Reasons to Exercise

1. Improves quality of life
2. Slows down the ageing process
3. Reduces the risk of heart disease
4. Reduces stress
5. Relieves depression
6. Good self-image
7. Improves quality of sleep
8. Assists mental altertness
9. Reduces risks of certain cancers
10. Increases good cholesterol
3. Relieves depression