Exercise benefits

Scott Schwab:
As if we needed anymore reasons to workout. Here is a recent study on the benefits to getting your exercise on.

How Regular Exercise Benefits you
No matter what your age or shape, you should exercise daily. Not only does exercise tone your body so you can wear your favorite jeans, it strengthens your muscles, keeps your bones strong, and improves your skin. And there are more benefits of exercise -- increased relaxation, better sleep and mood, strong immune function, and more. Let's look at some of the incredible benefits of exercise, then talk about how you can get started.

Exercise and Your Weight
Because exercise helps use up oxygen, it causes your body to burn stored fat and helps you maintain a normal weight. For instance, if you walk 4 miles a day, four times a week, you can burn about 1,600 calories, or nearly half a pound a week. If you don't change your diet at all and keep walking the same distance over six months, you'll lose 12 pounds. Walk the same distance for a year and you'll drop 24 pounds!

The neat thing about exercise is you don't have to do it all at one time. After all, not many people make the time to walk 4 miles each day! But you can do 4 miles in short bursts throughout your day. Here's an idea of how to work that much exercise into your daily regimen:

Take a 1-mile walk on a treadmill before school or work. Then, take a 1-mile walk around the track during a break.
Take a 1-mile walk after work with friends or the family dog.
Take a 1-mile walk on the treadmill while watching your favorite show before dinner.


Exercise benefits
Weight loss
Muscle strengthening and definition
Stronger bones
A lower heart rate
Better mood
An improved complexion
Exercise and Your Muscles

Most people know that exercise keeps muscles strong. But did you know that strong muscles burn more calories? Muscle mass is metabolically active tissue. In other words, the more muscle mass you have, the more calories you burn even when you're not working out.

Studies estimate that for each pound of muscle you add to your body, you will burn an additional 35-50 calories per day. So an extra 5 pounds of muscle will burn about 175-250 calories a day, or an extra pound of fat every 14-20 days.

Because men have more muscle mass, they burn calories faster and lose weight more easily than women. So women need to work out daily to stay strong and in shape.

Exercise and Your Bones
Regular, moderate exercise -- particularly weight-bearing exercises like walking, running, jogging, and dancing -- keeps your bones strong. Studies show that resistance (strengthening) exercises also boost bone mass and keep muscles strong.

Additionally, lifting weights is a great way to add muscle that will burn more calories. Most women do not lift because of some myth that they don't want to bulk up. It is a fact, that by regularly lifting light weight with high reps, you will get more results than cardiovascular exercises alone.