Some people are passionate about fitness, health and wellbeing, but for most of us it’s more like something you have to do, rather than something you want to do. I mean, most of it is in your genes anyway, right? So what’s the point? While some aspects of your wellness are governed by genetics or your mum’s behaviour during pregnancy, your ability to live a long and healthy life largely comes down to lifestyle factors, and so, really, it’s all up to you!
You might feel like you don’t have any time for fitness with all the pressures you have at work and throughout family life, but the benefits of exercise far outweigh the costs of finding the time. Fitness can make a huge difference to staying healthy in a number of ways, but let’s just focus on the main ones. Firstly, exercise is vital for your heart health because it reduces several of your cardiovascular risks, such as high blood pressure and heart disease. Next, if you’re physically active, you can manage your stress, anxiety and even depression more easily, making exercise essential for mental health. As you may be aware, regular exercise can help you achieve and maintain an ideal weight – which is why many people get into fitness regimes – but this is also important for reducing your risk of diabetes.
If you undertake weight bearing exercise, such as running, you are promoting your bone density. This helps to protect you against osteoporosis, which is a disease in which your bones become thin, weak and break easily. Plus, it’s not just the exercise itself, but the fact that it gets you outside that benefits your bone health. In this country, we don’t get outside enough, which is detrimental to our wellbeing as it causes vitamin D deficiency. You cannot easily attain vitamin D through your diet, and so you have to build it by getting sunlight on your skin. Vitamin D helps your body to absorb calcium and phosphorus from your diet, which makes it essential for building strong and healthy bones. Therefore, simply getting outside for a run – even if it’s just for a few minutes – can make a huge difference to your wellness.
