How to lose weight and live longer (or at least age healthier).

1.    Regular training lowers the blood pressure. As a result of increased capillarisation (formation and development of a network of capillaries to a part of the body), there are more avenues through which the blood can flow.

2. Exercise decreases the heart rate, because left ventricle increases its volume and its muscular walls become stronger, so each heartbeat pumps out a greater volume of blood.  

3. Regular training minimizes risk of stroke. Because regular exercise lowers your blood pressure, thus it reduces the risk of stroke by 27% according to the Stroke Association.

4.  Help with diabetes type 2. Insulin resistance diminishes when you exercise, and your cells can use the glucose more effectively. 

5. Regular moderate physical activity has been shown to increase HDL cholesterol. More intense trainings help reduce LDL (bad cholesterol) and trigliceride levels.

6.   Engaging big muscles increase metabolism. More muscles mean you need more calories. Combine different types of trainings to engage different groups of muscles, improve stamina and lose or maintain weight.

7.   Exercise promotes quality of sleep (if not done less than 2 hours before going to bed!) and helps with insomnia by increasing the amount of slow wave sleep you get. Changes in body temperatures during and after the workout impacts our ability to fall and stay asleep as well. After exercising you are less stressed, so your sleep becomes more peaceful. Deeper sleep rejuvenates the brain.

8.   Physical activity improves your immune system. Rise in body temperature during exercises strengthens your body’s ability to fight infection. Stress is a major cause of weakening of the immune system, but physical activity lowers the stress levels, so our immune system is protected! Exercise also causes changes in the antibodies and white blood cells (they are responsible for fighting infections). However, if your trainings are too extreme over a long period of time, your immune system might get weaker, so extra protection (more antioxidants!) is beneficial.

9.    You become physically stronger and develop endurance, motor skills and flexibility, because of increased ability of muscles to work longer without tiring.

10. Once, you see how regular activity changes your life, you crave more, so you incorporate better eating habits. They will not only impact your body composition, but also will improve your health and your training outcomes. This will improve your overall health as a result.

11. Improves posture. Adequate exercises (strengthening and stretching) along with a proper technique of movement can improve posture and support the spine. Various exercises can help with scoliosis, lordosis and kyphosis.

12. Decreased risk of injury/ increased bone density/ decreased risk of osteoporosis. Controlled stresses imposed by the pull of the muscles on the bones (resistance) stimulate the body to take up more mineral salts, which strengthen the bone tissue.