Most of us are aware that exercise comes with a range of benefits. The one that pretty much everyone knows about is how it can help you lose weight. But exercise is far more important to our bodies than simply allowing you to slip into that figure-hugging dress. The health benefits are far-reaching and can make a hugely positive impact on our lives. The simple fact of the matter is, even if you are already slim, you still need to exercise because it is not all about weight loss. Here are a few other ways that exercise can help improve your life:

Your happiness levels

The key to a good life is happiness, and one simple way to improve your levels of happiness is by creating a regular exercise routine. By exercising, you are allowing the body to develop and release happy endorphins into the body. It also regulates and increases the way the brain deals with the happy hormones serotonin and norepinephrine. This means that exercise can enhance how you feel. Not only that, but it can combat depression, and it can lower stress and anxiety. Exercise is an outlet for stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. Without such high levels of these chemicals, stress is reduced.

Helps you sleep

If you do struggle to fall asleep in the evening, then you should consider developing an exercise routine. Exercise improves the amount of sleep you can have as well as improving the quality of it too. It does this by reducing stress hormones, and by simply tiring you out. It can improve your sleep and wake cycle by increasing the body temperature and then it will naturally reduce on its own. Even less intense exercises can help you sleep. You can use yoga to help you sleep, for example.

Helps prevent heart disease

When you exercise the circulation of blood around the body is greatly improved. This has the effect of making the heart stronger, and it can help prevent a heart attack. It also reduces blood pressure, cholesterol and can help stop things like coronary artery disease. Also, as there is more blood flowing around the body, there is also more oxygen being carried to your vital organs which helps them work and repair.

Improve your muscle and bone density

By exercising, your muscles and bones are much more able to absorb amino acids. These chemicals are vital for the muscles and bones to grow and repair. Exercise becomes increasingly important as we get older. As we age, the body suffers a loss of bone mass and exercising is a way to combat this other side effect of ageing. So, it makes sense to develop a good exercise regime while you are young and carry this through into your older years.

Improved immune system and longevity

By exercising, you can add years to your life. In addition, it makes your body more capable of fighting off infections and illnesses. It also reduces the growth of harmful bacteria in the body, which can lead to illnesses.

There is a reducing in the risk of developing cancer

There is evidence to suggest that regular exercise can prevent at least 13 cancers. This is a hugely significant find and if you are worried about cancer, or if you have a family history of it. Everyone should really start exercising. By exercising you are boosting your immune system, allowing the body to work out hormones such as insulin, and it sweats toxins and free radicals out of the body.

Boost the brain

As we age, one of the worries we have is cognitive decline. This makes you vulnerable in so many ways. But by exercising, you are not just improving your muscles and bones. You are keeping your mind sharp too. Exercise has the ability to stimulate the body into releasing certain proteins and chemicals that have an effect on enhancing how the brain works. It does this in both a structural and a functional way. So it improves brain density, plus the way the neutrons work within it. 

Good for the beauty regime

Ladies, we all want better skin and exercising can help you do this. When you exercise, you are increasing the blood flow to your skin. Oxygen is promoted to the skin surface, as well as other chemicals that the blood contains. These help prevent natural skin adaptations that age the skin cells. It can prevent damage to the skin that leads to premature ageing. Exercise also reduces your oxidative stress levels, and this sort of stress damages the skin.