Get up and move that body!
We’re famous for being a sporting country, but how many of us Aussies live up to our energetic reputation? The bad news is that around 75 per cent of us aren’t on the go enough to meet the minimum daily recommendation for exercise … so here are some good reasons to get off the couch and start moving!
Regular exercise has been proven to:
- Reduce stress
- Ward off anxiety and feelings of depression
- Boost self-esteem
- Improve sleep
Exercise also has these added health benefits:
- strengthens your heart
- increases energy levels
- lowers blood pressure
- improves muscle tone and strength
- strengthens and builds bones
- helps reduce body fat
- makes you look fit and healthy
Biologically, exercise gives the body a chance to practice dealing with stress. It forces the body’s physiological systems — all of which are involved in the stress response — to communicate much more closely than usual: The cardiovascular system communicates with the renal system, which communicates with the muscular system. And all of these are controlled by the central and sympathetic nervous systems, which also must communicate with each other – the more sedentary we get, the less efficient our bodies in responding to stress.
So get up and move that body!