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Seven Steps to Heaven: Improving Your Life Through Exercise

By HealthLife Contributor
Writer
Updated: June 27, 2008
The secret to feeling better, looking better, and living longer lies not with a pill or a surgical procedure, but with something that is readily available for everyone to take advantage of: exercise.

In a world where science and technology continuously promise us better, cheaper, and faster ways to improve ourselves, the one constant that has existed in the face of every new development, and has proven effective over and over again, is exercise. Regular exercise in fact, has proven to have the ability to give people everything from increased self-esteem to a longer life.

Consider these seven reasons for beginning your exercise plan:

1. Exercise Helps Fight Certain Diseases.

One of the major causes of premature deaths in the United States is heart disease. Experts have found that individuals who make regular exercise a part of their lives have fewer incidents of heart-related illnesses. In fact, exercise has been shown to help with issues related with high blood pressure and cholesterol, as well as diabetes, osteoporosis and even some forms of cancer.

2. Exercise Helps Reduce Stress.

Get rid of the frustrations of a stressful day with some time at the gym. A thirty to forty-five minute workout can help lower your stress levels by increasing your body's levels of endorphins and other so-called "happy" chemicals. Lifting weights, hitting the treadmill and swimming a few laps should be enough to do the trick. Some gyms also offer special instructor-led classes as part of their membership plans.

3. Exercise Helps You Sleep Better.

If it seems obvious, it is. Working out and exercising helps your body use more energy, which at the end of the day helps you fall asleep faster. It is a time-tested trick that works with everyone from babies to adults. Taking all the extra energy that usually keeps you up at night and leaving it behind at the gym will result in more sleep and rest, which in turn will give you more energy to use for the following day.
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4. Exercise Helps With Weight Management.

For those who wish to find an alternative to pills and procedures intended to help with weight management, there is always exercise, and it does not always have to take place in the gym. Choosing physical exercise over convenience in everyday tasks can be enough to help individuals without gym memberships maintain their weight. Taking the stairs, parking your car far from the mall entrance, and even walking to the grocery store are all different ways to incorporate exercise into your daily life. For individuals who do have access to the gym, a minimum of thirty minutes several days a week should be enough to help maintain their weight.

5. Exercise Can Improve Your Sex Life.

Working-out improves your sex life in two different ways. First, exercise increases your energy and improves blood circulation, two factors which play a strong role in the quality of sex that a person can have. Second, exercising can improve the way you look physically, as well as the way you feel about yourself, two facts that translate directly to self-esteem and confidence as they relate to sex.

6. Exercise Makes Your Heart Stronger.

Besides helping your arm and chest muscles bigger and stronger, exercise also does the same for your heart. The heart is a muscle after all, and anything that helps it work more than it would under normal conditions is going to end up benefiting it in the end. A stronger heart, as a result, leads to better blood flow, cleaner arteries, and an overall increase in energy.

7. Exercise Helps You Live A Longer, Fuller Life.

It is a matter of fact that individuals who exercise regularly live longer lives than those who don't. Not only does exercise prevent many of the illnesses and diseases that lead to premature death, but the benefits that are associated with regular exercise also help individuals live better lives. Reduced stress, improved circulation, improved mood, better sleep, and a better physical appearance all result from regular exercise, and all contribute to an overall richer, fuller, and longer life.
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