8 Awesome Benefits to Routine Exercise

It's no secret that diet and exercise is good for your health. But even with all the evidence pointing towards regular exercise as being chalk-full of benefits for general health and well-being many people still just can't seem to find the time or motivation to work exercise into their busy schedules.

Let's take a closer look a dozen plus one benefits that exercise will be sure to give you.

1. Exercise helps you to enjoy a INCREASED LIFE SPAN - The results of a twenty year follow-up study are in! People who exercise regularly reduce the risk of dying prematurely.

2. Exercise May IMPROVE QUALITY OF SEX - Did you know that researchers now suggest that routine exercise will actually improve the quality of one's sex life? Yes, exercise that builds muscle strength, endurance, improves cardiovascular circulation and tones the body improve the sexual functions of both sexes. And of course, regular exercise may in turn make you more attractive to the opposite, improving your range of possible partners!

3. Exercise promotes NEW BRAIN CELL DEVELOPMENT - Exercise can stimulate the creation of new brain cells. Research now shows that the areas of the brain that are stimulated through routine exercise are responsible for memory and learning. Exercise making you smarter - imagine that!

4. Exercise is an amazing ANTIDEPRESSANT. Study after study has shown that exercise promotes mental health and reduces symptoms of depression. The antidepressant effect of regular physical exercise is comparable to the potent antidepressants like Zoloft. It may take at least 30 minutes of exercise a day for at least three to five days a week to significantly improve symptoms of depression.

5. Exercise improves Your HEART HEALTH - One of the leading causes of death in the United States is cardiovascular diseases, heart disease and stroke. Regular exercise makes your heart strong and healthy. Like any other muscle in the body, regular exercise is good for your heart as well.

6. Exercise PREVENTS DIABETES - The prevention and control of diabetes is another major benefit to exercise. Aerobic and anaerobic exercise in combination with a weight loss program and balanced diet can pass on a 50-60% reduction in risk of developing diabetes.

7. Exercise helps WEIGHT CONTROL - Regular exercise helps you to reach and maintain a healthy weight, loss fat and increase muscle mass and tone. If you take in more calories than needed in a day, exercise offsets a caloric overload and controls body weight. It speeds the rate of energy use, resulting in increased metabolism. A single exercise session lasting an hour can boost your metabolism by fifteen percent over the next 4-48 hours!

8. Exercise makes your BONES STRONGER - Active lifestyles promote bone density across all demographics. It doesn't matter if your male or female, 20 years old or 60 years old, regular exercise utilizing resistance training will increase your resistance to bone fractures and sprains.

One of the most profitable benefits to exercise however may be improved quality of sleep. A good night's rest can make the following day more productive, active and fulfilling. The body releases hormones during sleep (following exercise) like HGH and IGF which help to repair and revitalized damaged tissues including organs like the heart and brain.

In summary, consider this: "Which is greater - the 8 healthy benefits to routine exercise, or the benefits you get from not exercising?