Physical Activity

Physical Activity is one of the best things you can do for your health. Regular physical activity can help maintain a healthy weight, reduce the risk of diseases such as type II diabetes, build strong bones and muscles, and increase your ability to do daily activities (Center for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2022).
The CDC recommends people get 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week. This can be done in as little as 30-minute sessions 5 days a week. The CDC says to include at least 20 minutes of resistance training into their program as well. 

There are a lot of benefits to physical activity. Consistent exercise boosts your mood, gives you more energy, better sleep schedule, and builds muscular endurance. Exercise releases chemicals in the brain to help you feel less anxious (Mayo Clinic, 2018). Exercising is known to be a natural remedy to decrease symptoms of depression and anxiety. Along with feeling better exercise can also boost your confidence and ultimately make you feel better about yourself!

Physical activity can be aerobic, such as running or brisk walking, or anerobic such as resistance training and weightlifting. Strength training can be done twice a week and all major muscle groups should be worked for at least one set. Weight intensity should be between 12-15 repetitions (Mayo Clinic, 2018).

Physical activity is more than just staying active, it can also increase your health and give you more energy to go about your day. Staying active can help by: getting better sleep at home, reduce chances of getting arthritis, heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, and 8 types of cancer, including breast and colon cancer. It can help any reduce feelings of depression, reduce levels of stress and anxiety, reach or maintain a healthy weight and reduce risk of excessive weight gain. (National Institute on Aging, 2020). 

Staying active does not just better you health wise, but it can also help your emotional state as well. It can help reduce any feelings of stress and depression, while improving your mood and your emotional well-being overall, give you more energy throughout the day, and give you more control of yourself. physical activity may possibly improve or maintain some aspects of cognitive function, such as your ability to shift quickly between tasks, plan an activity, and ignore irrelevant information. (National Institute on Aging, 2020).