Health Benefits of Exercising - Research Paper Example

Health Benefits of Exercising s Abstract Today, sedentary and unhealthy lifestyle has taken a toll on the health and well being of human beings. Exercise is known to help prevent onset of some health problems and diminishes the negative effects of the ones already present. Several research studies have been done to study the different impacts that exercise has on the body as well as on the mind and brain functioning ability of a person. All of these studies have established the fact that regular exercising has some good manifestations on the human body and engaging in exercising regularly helps build up not only a proper body structure but also prevents several health problems. Moreover, exercising also promotes a positive state of mind and helps the brain function more efficiently. Introduction The world has developed rapidly and along with that more and more of the world’s citizens have been allured to the busy lifestyle which seemingly promises a sense of happiness and well being. In the midst of trying to find a good a life people often are left with no time to spare for themselves. Previously, people would find time to spare for small walks along parks, light exercise and even learn exotic yoga positions to improve body problems however, now all of these seem farfetched and a normal average person has shifted towards leading an unhealthy and almost sedentary lifestyle. Exercise in all its forms is beneficial to the human body especially since most of the people live an unhealthy life consuming fast foods which are oily and spicy, being exposed to harsh chemicals and pollution and barely having time to negate the effects of the weight problem and a bad lifestyle. Exercising has some physiological manifestations and when done on a regular basis these physiological manifestations is actually good for the body and helps one leads a much healthier life. Human Body and Exercise Our body is like a machine and it needs to indulge in working out from time to time. It does not really matter what kind of exercise a person indulges in since all forms involve movement of body muscles and taxation of the body tissues. The effects that exercising has on the body has also been shown through several scientific findings. Research has clearly established a relation between exercising and physical well being. Furthermore, it is not only the physical wellbeing of a person that is affected but exercising also affects the mental health and well being (Penedo & Dahn, 2005). Exercise and the Cardiovascular System The cardiac tissue is perhaps the most important tissue of all since they help pump blood throughout the body and keep the body functioning well. Cardiac muscles do not stop working even for once during a person’s lifetime. However, cardiovascular diseases are one of the most important causes of death. Most studies have established an inverse relationship between exercising and CVD and “total physical activity, running, weight training, and walking were each associated with reduced CHD risk” (Tanasescu et al, 2002). Regular exercising stimulates the heart to pump more blood and makes oxygen available to the body. This taxation of the heart is actually good for the cardiac tissues. The capacity of a person to take in oxygen also increases and also increase stamina of both the heart and the body and hence regular exercising helps one overcome the problem of fatigue. Meta-analysis of populations shows that moderate to high levels of any form of physical activity confers protection from heart diseases (Sofi et al, 2008). In fact the cardiac rehabilitation regime of cardiovascular patients involves physical exercise (Taylor et al, 2004). One of the most important physical manifestations that physical exercise has on the body is the lowering of LDL or low density lipoprotein. LDL’s are known as the bad cholesterol of the body because of the adverse effects it has on our system. The LDL cholesterol is present in the blood stream and circulates throughout the body. However the LDL is capable of accumulating in the blood vessels of the heart and often causes heart vessel blockages and atherosclerosis. LDL’s are responsible for causing heart attacks owing to the gradual development of plaques within the blood vessels. Several studies have shown that aerobic exercises are known to reduce the level of LDL from the blood stream thereby making aerobic exercising an intervention factor for CVD (Kelley & Kelley, 2008). Smart and Marwick, conducted a study to understand the effects that exercise has on people with heart failure problem. The subjects in the experiment were given some mild form of exercises and their oxygen consumption capacity was measured. The results showed that exercise has some benefits on people suffering from heart problems and the risk of negative effects from heart problems is also reduced significantly (Smart & Marwick, 2004). Another way in which exercising helps the heart, is by helping a person to keep the blood pressure under control. Regular exercising increases the inhalation capacity of a person and also increases the stamina of the cardiac tissues as well. The blood vessels also are stimulated to constrict and dilate accordingly and therefore there are no sudden problems with the working of the blood vessels which means that the flow of blood is maintained and there are no fluctuations in the flow either. Effect on Mood The mood of a person actually contributes significantly to person’s well being and state of mind. It also has an impact on his quality of life since a person in bad mood will not enjoy life as much as a person in a relatively good state of mind. Mood is in reality a physiological expression of some chemicals released in the brain. Time and gain, research studies have shown that exercising even for short periods of time can help a person alter mood, reduce depression and associated effects and transfer a person into a healthier state of mind. In fact some psychologists fell that exercising both acute and chronic forms have good psychological consequences and often use exercise regime to help people with anxiety or depression disorders. Minor depression is quite effectively treated by simple exercise forms. Exercise helps everyone attain a positive state of mind irrespective of the presence of psychological problem. The reason behind this is quite simple yet immensely effective. Exercising stimulates the neurological system of the brain and results in the release of endorphins. Endorphins are the “feel good” chemicals of the body and they trigger positive feelings in our brain. Endorphins are also known to act in the same manner as analgesics which reduce the perception of pain. Thus release of endorphins helps a person feel good and gain a positive mind frame as well. Shawn et al (2000) conducted a meta-analytical study on the effects of chronic exercise on the mood of the elderly. The results clearly showed that all of the subjects selected in the study and involved in some form of chronic exercise had improved mood (Shawn et al, 2000). Furthermore, studies shave also shown the effect that acute exercise might have on chronic depressive problems. Bartholomew et al conducted such a study where he and his colleague concentrated on studying the impact that acute exorcizing would have on the mood of people suffering from chronic depression problems. For the study 40 subjects had been selected and each subject’s mood was measured before and after a brief exercise. The results clearly showed that there was rapid declination in anxiety and depression. Psychological fatigue, tension, anger and other similar negative feelings had also been reduced significantly. Therefore even though “30 min of either moderate-intensity treadmill exercise or quiet rest is sufficient to improve the mood and well-being of patients with MDD, exercise appears to have a greater effect on the positively valenced states measured” (Bartholomew et al, 2005). Similar study conducted by Guszkowska (2004) confirmed that mild forms of exercise  “increase body temperature, blood circulation in the brain and impact on hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and physiological reactivity to stress” and thus helps a person improve his/her mood (Guszkowska, 2004). Post-menopausal women are one of the important subjects of anxiety and depression. Post-menopause the bodies of women do not produce hormones. Thus, in the absence of the female hormones, psychological manifestations surface and thus mood alterations and mood swings are often seen among such women. However, studies have shown that regular exercising programs can help post-menopausal women tackle the problems of anxiety and depression (Villaverde et al, 2012). Exercise and Neurological manifestation One of the major impacts that exercise has is primarily on the brain. Research has shown that exercise not only improves mood and helps one overcome the problem of depression but also helps in brain functioning and improved cognition as well. It is believed that dearth of exercise especially among children diminishes their ability to think, understand and also hampers their mental creativity. Exercise especially aerobic exercise has been shown to improve cognition and help children do much better in academic as well. Further research has shown that even mild forms of exercise helps in neurogenesis, enhanced brain hemodynamics, changes in neurotransmitters etc all of which contribute towards better cognitive functioning (Lojovich,2010). Studies conducted on adults in order to see the effects of acute exercise on cognition showed that an hour of aerobic exercise helped the brain process information more efficiently i.e. enhanced brain alertness and awareness (Tomporowski, 2003). The studies have shown such results because one of the most interesting effects of exercising is that it helps in neurogenesis i.e. production of new neurons in the brain. It is believed that this neurogenesis takes place in the hippocampus which is the seat of cognition and learning. Even though the exact mechanism of the initiation of the neurogenesis has not been accurately understood however experts are of the opinion that exercising regularly exerts stress not only on the body but on the brain as well. Such stress activates transcription factors in the neurons of the hippocampus which in turn helps BNDF (Brain-derived Neutrophic Factor) gene expression. Once the BNDF gene successfully expresses it induces production of the BNDF protein which is primarily responsible for production of neurons. BNDF factors have been much researched upon and Gomes-Pinilla et al (2008) showed that BNDF factor was in fact the mediating factor between regular exercise and synaptic plasticity and cognitive function. “One week of voluntary exercise that enhanced learning and memory performance elevated the expression of molecular systems involved in the metabolism of energy [AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), ubiquitous mitochondrial creatine kinase (uMtCK) and uncoupling protein 2] and molecules that work at the interface of energy and synaptic plasticity [BDNF, insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) and ghrelin]” (Gomez-Pinilla et al,2008). All such findings associates exercise with synaptic plasticity and brain functioning and also establishes that since all these interactions involve energy metabolism, BNDF factors act as metabotrophin and works at the interface between these interaction. However not all exercising is beneficial for cognition. One cannot expect cognitive enhancement by indulging in just one or two bouts of exercise. Hopkins et al (2012) conducted a research study on young adults to show the effects that long term exercise and acute exercise had on cognition. It was finally established through this study that there was an increase in cognition, memory and also reduced stress levels; however these results were seen only in adults who engaged in exercise for at least four weeks; on the other hand those adults who engaged in just a single bout of exercise showed signs of increased stress and no increase in memory or cognition at all. There are several diseases which are known to have a negative effect on the proper functioning of the brain. Studies however, have shown that some form of exercise helps to control the degeneration of cognitive ability in individuals suffering from such diseases. Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia especially among the older adults are known to cause harm to cognition and memory. A National Long Term Care Survey research study was conducted by Jedrziewski et al (2010) which aimed to study the relation between exercise and cognitive impairment among the ageing population in the United States. A baseline study with a 5 years and a 10 year follow up study was conducted on individuals who engaged in at least 20 minutes of exercise on a regular basis. The results supported the fact that exercise had the capability to lower the risk of dementia among the ageing population. Exercise, Obesity and Blood Pressure One of the most universal problems that are prevalent in almost all parts of the world is the problem of obesity and diseases that occur owing to excess weight gain. The U.S. alone spends almost $100 billion annually to tackle this problem alone (McQueen, 2009). Several problems such as heart ailments, diabetes, arthritis, liver and gall bladder problems etc are associated with obesity. Exercise is perhaps most natural way to tackle the problem of body weight. Physically active people are less likely to suffer from problems such as obesity and other related diseases when compared to their counterparts who live a sedentary lifestyle. In fact, morbidity and mortality of people who engage in exercise is far lower than those who do not. Dieting is well known remedy for weight gain however studies have shown that when diet control is complimented with physical workouts; weight gain becomes easier to tackle. Therefore, it is necessary to include any form of physical exercise in weight management programs. It is obvious that people who are obese have tremendous problem in engaging in even mild forms of exercise to diminish weight however, studies have shown that exercise in any forms is beneficial for mild obesity and prevention of obesity. Messier et al (2000) conducted a pilot study on the effects of exercise on older obese population. 24 obese subjects who suffered from obesity-related osteoarthritis were asked to follow simple physical workout regimes such as climbing stairs and short distance brisk walking. Analysis of the results after a period of 6 months showed that exercise was beneficial in controlling the weight and also helped the subjects with their arthritis pain. The researchers also established that when the management plan includes a dietary as well as exercise intervention the result is much more significant (Messier et al, 2000). Another major problem associated with obesity is that of hypertension commonly known as high blood pressure. Prolonged problems with blood pressure have severe implications on the health of a person. High blood pressure is most often associated with heart problems such as strokes, atherosclerosis, and heart attack and also causes problems in the kidneys. Epidemiological studies have shown an inverse relation between physical exercise and blood pressure. Most data suggest that resistance training is very much effective in controlling blood pressure (Fagard & Cornelissen, 2007). In another study, Whelton et al (2002) studied the effects of aerobic exercise on the blood pressure of 2419 subjects. Aerobic exercise reduced the mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure. It was seen that aerobic exercise effectively reduced hypertension in obese people and hypertensive people. Therefore, aerobic exercising should be considered as one of the major approaches in treating hypertension problems. Previously, it was considered that only lifestyle changes should be considered as initial strategy to help keep a tab on the blood pressure however efficacy of exercise in controlling hypertension was much higher. Even though exercise alone can effectively help keep the blood pressure under control yet according to a study conducted by Blumenthal et al (2000), exercise needs to be accompanied with weight loss as well in order to tackle the problems of hypertension. Exercise and Bone Health and Muscle health The skeletal structure is the most important system since it helps provide support to the body and enables locomotion. With age the bone health is known to deteriorate and cause fractures and other bone problems. Involution Osteopenia makes an elderly person susceptible to fractures and dislocations; however, experimental evidence shows that involutional bone loss maybe prevented through mild exercise (Aloia, 1981). Pikosky et al (2006) conducted an experiment to see the change brought in by exercise in young adults and saw that just 4 weeks of aerobic exercise increased skeletal muscle protein and hence made the bone structure much firmer and tougher. Again research has also shown that engaging in some form of exercise especially during the growing years leads to formation of healthier bones with higher mineral bone density which helps build a strong skeletal system (Karlsson, 2004). Thus, exercise helps a person’s bone health remain fit throughout life and in absence of exercise the bone health reduces and results in several problems. Body muscles keeping aside the cardiac muscles are also important since they enable all body movements. It is true heavy exercises strains the muscles and in some cases poses a problem as well, however, mild forms of exercise helps make the muscle proteins stronger and keep them functioning smoothly. Exercise and Cancer Prevention Cancer today is one of the most prominent life threatening diseases. Several studies had been done to understand the benefits of exercise on cancer prevention and large scale studies show that cancer instances decrease with increase in physical activity. Exercise even helps in decreasing the side effects of cancer therapies and assists in rehabilitation of cancer survivors.  Indulging in exercise regularly helps one prevent onset of cancer for example, “decreased breast cancer mortality is seen with the equivalent of 3 hours of walking per week, and decreased colon cancer mortality with 6 hours of walking per week” (Lemanne et al,2013). Conclusion Exercise, is any form ranging from modern gym regimes, on field physical activities or traditional yoga and asana, each of these involves the movement of body muscles and stimulates various parts of the body. Exercise have physiological as well as psychological manifestations which when done within limits prove to be immensely beneficial for the human body. Physical activity not only helps keep the weight of the body under control along with reducing health problems but also helps in enhancing one’s cognitive ability and reasoning as well by stimulating the brain cells. In fact people of any age group would derive benefits from engaging in regular exercises. Exercise not only helps diminish effects of present health ailments but also reduces risks of developing health problems and therefore needs to be adopted by anyone wanting to lead a disease free and healthy life. 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