With mounting responsibilities, men just don’t have time to exercise. To many, this is the main reason given why regular exercise has been pushed at the bottom of the “to-do” list. What’s worst, it’s not only in the bottom of the list, it seldom even sees the light of the day.
What men do not realize is the fact that exercise is not just about looking good; exercise has become essential especially as men mature in age.
What Can Exercise Do?
A lot of studies show that regular exercise can help improve bone health, prevent adult onset diabetes, as well as lower the risk of some cancers. Regular exercise can also greatly improve a person’s mood, helping alleviate depression, something that’s common to aging people.
Let’s get into specifics. Below are the 5 topmost benefits of exercise. Hopefully this will motivate many to start exercising now for a healthier body.
1. Exercise Lowers Cholesterol
Here are the hard facts. As men get older, their cholesterol levels change for the worst. Their LDL or low-density lipoprotein, also called bad cholesterol, gradually increases. Then the level of their good cholesterol (called HDL or high-density lipoprotein) falls. This condition increases the risk factors for heart disease. This happens as the excess cholesterol accumulates on the inner lining of blood vessels which leads to arthrosclerosis and heart attacks.
Is there a way around this? Yes! The best way to keep bad cholesterol levels down is to eat a diet low in saturated fat. To balance things, there is then the need to increase or boost the good cholesterol. Now here’s the catch: there is one best way to do it: through regular exercise!
2. Lower Triglycerides
As men age, their triglyceride levels also rise. What are triglycerides? They are a form of fat found in the blood. When triglyceride levels rise, there is an increased risk of heart disease. To lower the triglycerides in the blood, exercise is highly recommended.
3. The Risk of High Blood Pressure Is Reduced
Active men (as well as women) who exercise regularly are found to be healthier and have lower risk of developing hypertension.
4. Healthier Blood Vessels
Research studies show that exercise plays a major role in helping maintain the ability of blood vessels to open and constrict in response to changing physical demands. The healthier the blood vessels, the more able they are to respond to changing demands for oxygen because they are more flexible, able to widen and narrow as required.
5. Lowers the Risk of Diabetes
Very common today is what’s called adult onset diabetes. Recent studies show that this is caused mostly by too much fat in the body. This is where regular exercise can do its wonders. Exercising regularly helps keep the weight off. Here’s the good news: exercise in this context does not mean difficult, heavy exercises. Walking at least six miles a week is good enough as a starter.
These are just some of the benefits of doing regular exercise. Thinking about the consequences of not doing any exercise at all, I think most will prefer doing the exercise in exchange for good health and longer life. How about you? What do you think?
