10 Benefits of Regular Exercise

Steve Silvestro, MD, DABOM, FAAP, is the Director of Clinical Product Strategy at Saluvia.

It seems like people are always talking about how good exercise is for you. You’ve got one friend trying to convince you to be her new running buddy, another friend invites you to join him at his favorite yoga class all the time, and yet another friend won’t stop singing her praises about her weightlifting routine.

Are these exercise-junkie friends of yours onto something? Why is exercise so good for you anyway? Keep reading to learn 10 benefits of exercise and tips to help you get started.

There are many benefits of exercise we could talk about, but we’ll just focus on the 10 most important ones. From cholesterol to mental health to better sex, the benefits are far-reaching.

Your cholesterol levels are important markers for your heart health. Low-density lipoproteins (LDL) are considered the “bad” type of cholesterol. If too much LDL cholesterol in the blood builds up, you have a higher risk of atherosclerosis , which is when plaques develop in the arteries. This creates a dangerous environment, making serious problems like heart attack or stroke more likely.

Another type of cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), is called the “good” cholesterol. HDL cholesterol helps to clean up bad cholesterol. Healthy cholesterol levels support a lower risk of developing blocked blood vessels, heart disease, and stroke.

Exercise helps to control cholesterol levels. Research shows exercise helps lower LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels, while increasing HDL levels ( Muscella, 2020 ).

Exercise helps promote multiple areas of mental health. Research shows that exercise helps manage mental health conditions like anxiety, depression , affective disorders, and other mental disorders ( Zschucke, 2013 ).

Exercise also helps with managing stress levels and boosting your overall mood. Studies show that regular physical activity can increase positive mood and decrease tension, fatigue, anger, and confusion ( Basso, 2017 ).

Physical activity helps improve blood sugar control and lower your risk for developing diabetes, a condition characterized by high blood sugar levels.

Insulin resistance is one of the common causes of type 2 diabetes. Insulin is the hormone responsible for bringing sugar glucose into cells. If you have insulin resistance, glucose stays in your bloodstream for longer than it should.

Exercise increases how much glucose the muscles use, improving insulin sensitivity . Research shows changes to diet and exercise combine to reduce the risk of diabetes by 58% ( Ruegsegger, 2018 ).

High blood pressure increases the risk for conditions like heart disease, stroke, and kidney disease. There are multiple studies to support the benefits of exercise on blood pressure levels and cardiovascular disease. Aerobic exercise (like running, swimming, biking), in particular, helps to lower blood pressure and maintain healthy levels ( Vina, 2012 ).

Physical activity helps support healthy muscle mass and bone health.

Strength workouts increase the workload on your muscles, which causes your body to build and repair muscle tissue (Vina, 2012). Exercises that focus on balance and controlled movements may help lower the risk of falls and injuries in older adults.

Weight-bearing exercises, like weight lifting and jogging, help support your bone density and bone health. When you’re younger, exercise helps increase bone density to develop stronger bones. As you age, you want to continue exercises to help prevent bone loss and diseases like osteoporosis ( Benedetti, 2018 ).

Exercise helps promote healthy brain cells by increasing memory and thinking skills while decreasing age-related changes in cognitive function.

It’s believed exercise helps prevent declines in brain function by promoting new nerve cells and stimulating activity in the brain. Protecting the health of nerve cells may decrease the risk for neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease (Basso, 2017).