What are the long-term benefits of exercise?

It's no secret we are spending an increasing amount of time sitting down. As technology advances, our screen time increases. This time may be spent on our phones, looking at our work screens, or watching television. It's not surprising the average person is sitting down for 9 to 10 hours a day.

Although there are few ways to avoid our work screens, it is likely you are able to counteract or delay these health issues, simply by staying active.

An American Cancer Society study found a link between long periods of leisure time sitting and a higher chance of death caused by heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and type 2 diabetes. Making sure we get more activity into our lives - even light activity - could help us live for longer.

Just move

The majority of advice for staying active, especially if you are new to exercise, is to move more. This needn't be running marathons or attending every Zumba class you can find. It's as much about increasing your activity on a day-to-day basis simply by taking walks after dinner, squatting whilst brushing your teeth or just getting some extra steps in whilst you wait for the kettle to boil.

James Robinson, personal trainer of more than 10 years says that we should take any opportunity to strengthen our cardiovascular system.

"I see people parking as close to the gym entrance as possible, to walk on a treadmill for 30 minutes."

He explains that increasing your non-exercise tasks, such as taking the stairs instead of the escalator, parking further away from the entrance of the supermarket or taking short breaks to walk around your office, are great ways to incorporate more activity. These will help strengthen your cardiovascular system and reduce your chance of many health conditions further down the line.

James adds that through exercise, we learn about our bodies. He has, on occasion, found his clients have discovered a number of pre-existing conditions through exercising, including hypermobility and anaemia.

Strengthening your joints

In addition to increasing your day-to-day activity, including certain exercises in your workouts can strengthen the muscles that protect and support your joints.

This is especially important for those who have joint pain, stiffness and arthritis. Contrary to popular belief, avoiding exercise due to joint pain can actually lead to muscles becoming weaker, therefore causing more pain when moving joints. Arthritis Action advises it is vital to stay active or increase your level of activity to help reduce pain and improve joint movement.

Psychological benefits

As beneficial as exercise is to your body in the long term, it can also be helpful to your mental health in a number of ways. Mental Health charity, Mind, reports there have been many studies, which show physical activity can improve mental health.

Although there are many pressures we all face in life, simple lifestyle changes can counterbalance the inevitable time you will spend sitting inactive. They may only show small benefits to begin with, but your body and mind will thank you for your time and effort when you are able to stay healthy and active, well into your later years.

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