
WHY EXERCISE?

Long Term Physiological Benefits Of Resistance Training (Weight Training/Bodyweight Exercises)
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Increased bone density
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Increased resting metabolic rate
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Decreased body fat percentage
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Increased creatine phosphate and adenosine triphosphate stores
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Decreased blood pressure
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Decreased blood cholesterol markers
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Muscular hypertrophy
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Improved posture
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Improved core stability
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Decreased risk of injury
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Increased range of movement
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Improved power
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Improved strength
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Increase in number and size of mitochondria
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Improved motor unit firing and ability to recruit motor units
The Long Term Physiological Benefits Of Cardiovascular Training
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Increased lung capacity/increase in VO2 max
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Hypertrophy of cardiac tissue
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Increased blood volume and red blood cell count
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Increased cardiac output and stroke volume
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Increased number of capillaries (capillarisation)
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Reduction in blood pressure
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Increased number of mitochondria
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Increase in bone density
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Lower blood cholesterol markers (reduction in HDL count)
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Reduction in body fat
Given the overwhelming evidence, it seems obvious that we should all be physically active. It’s essential if you want to live a healthy and fulfilling life into old age. As well as helping you lose weight, get leaner, improve your strength, bulid muscle, improve flexibiliy, improve agility and co-ordination, and boost your endurance, exercise has a myriad of health related benefits.
For example, physically active people have a 33-50% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared with inactive people. The preventative effect is particularly strong for those at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes, as it can reduce their risk of developing the disease by up to 64%!
And there’s more…
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Physical activity is associated with a reduction in overall risk of cancer. In colon cancer the most active individuals have, on average, a 40-50% lower risk than the least active. Women with higher levels of physical activity have about a 30% lower risk of breast cancer than the least active
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Physical activity is a major independent protective factor against coronary heart disease in men and women. Inactive and unfit people have almost double the risk of dying from coronary heart disease compared with more active and fit people. People at high risk of coronary heart disease may benefit even more from physical activity compared with people at lower risk. Physical activity also significantly reduces the risk of a stroke and provides effective treatment of peripheral vascular disease.
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Physical activity programmes can help reduce the risk of falling, and therefore fractures, among older people.
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Physical activity is effective in the treatment of clinical depression and can be as successful as psychotherapy or medication, particularly in the longer term.
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Physical activity, particularly weight training, helps strengthen your bones and muscles. In fact, weight-bearing and muscle-strengthening exercises are recommended for people with osteoporosis who are able to exercise, in order to maintain and even increase bone density which is lower than it should be due to osteoporosis.