What Happens To Your Body From Exercise
Increased blood flow: Blood vessels dilate, especially in the working muscles, to deliver more oxygen and nutrients. Blood flow is diverted from non-essential areas like the digestive system to prioritize the active muscles.
Energy production: Your body uses various energy sources, like glucose and stored fat, to fuel muscle contractions. This leads to increased metabolic rate and calorie burning.
Hormonal changes: Several hormones are released, including adrenaline and endorphins. Adrenaline increases heart rate and energy availability, while endorphins contribute to feelings of well-being and pain relief.
Increased body temperature: As muscles work, they generate heat. To maintain a healthy temperature, your body increases sweating to cool down through evaporation.
Long-term adaptations (with regular exercise):
Improved cardiovascular health: Regular exercise strengthens your heart muscle, making it pump more efficiently and deliver greater blood flow with each beat. This reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke.
Increased lung capacity: Your lungs become more efficient at taking in oxygen and expelling carbon dioxide, improving your exercise tolerance and stamina.
Stronger muscles: Exercise stimulates muscle growth and adaptation. Your muscles become stronger, more efficient, and better able to handle physical demands.
Improved bone density: Exercise helps maintain and even increase bone density, reducing the risk of osteoporosis.
Enhanced mental health: Exercise releases endorphins, which have mood-boosting effects and can help reduce stress, anxiety, and depression.
Improved metabolism: Regular exercise can improve your basal metabolic rate (BMR), meaning you burn more calories even at rest.
Improved blood sugar control: Exercise helps your body utilize insulin more effectively, leading to better blood sugar control and reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes.
It’s important to remember that the specific effects of exercise depend on the intensity, duration, and type of activity you engage in. Listening to your body and gradually increasing your activity level is crucial to avoid injuries and reap the various benefits of exercise.