What happens inside your body when you exercise?
Our bodies are incredible, they can travel long distances and barely tire, they can take huge amounts of abuse in the form of poor diets and unhealthy habits and continue to support us on our journey through life. We rely on our internal systems to keep us functioning, from breathing to replenish oxygen that supplies our muscles and brain to our digestive system that processes all the good nutrients from our meals to keep us energized and moving.
When you exercise, it isn’t just your muscles that feel the strain, but your entire body is affected in all different ways and it is important to understand how your body is influenced so you can properly rest and recover. Without enough resting and recovery time, you can push your body beyond its comfortable limit and cause unrecoverable damage or injury that takes a long time to heal.
Whether you exercise in a dedicated centre such as a gym or fitness center or have built your own personal gym, keeping this information in mind can ensure you don’t overstrain yourself. Fitness routines don’t have to take place with a personal trainer to be safe. You can build your routine around the equipment you have available, such as a home treadmill, a refurbished exercise bike or even a set of weights.
Our Muscles During Exercise
Starting at the basics, our muscles are what allows us to move around and function. When we exercise, our muscles use up a sugar known as glucose which is stored in our body and provides the energy to make our muscles work. Alongside glucose, our muscles also make use of a chemical known as adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Unfortunately, our bodies can’t store a lot of either glucose and ATP and quickly uses them up during your exercise. Once used up, the body requires a greater intake of oxygen to create more ATP, causing you to breathe heavier.
What Happens to Your Body When You Exercise