You may be thinking, “What does it mean to exercise ‘hard’?” For our purposes, exercising “hard” just means giving a concerted effort of exercise in order raise the heart rate and get it to a point where your breathing a bit heavy. Below we will look at 10 (of many) reasons why exercising “hard” can have massive benefits to the human body.
- Sweat– there is nothing like sweat for detoxification. Skin, is, after all, out biggest detox organ. Exercising “hard” makes you use it.
- Joint lubrication– every joint of the human body needs movement to keep it lubricated and functioning optimally
- Weight loss– there is no disputing the fact that exercise, especially the kind that raises your heart rate, helps you burn fat and lose weight
- Better sleep– Exercise = Better Sleep. Period.
- Improved brain function– when your heart rate is increased, blood flows better to all parts of the body, especially the brain
- Better mood– many studies have shown the link between exercise and an improved mood, largely having to do with increasing the feel-good neurotransmitters called endorphins
- Improved digestion– An often overlooked part of exercise is what is does for helping things move smoothly through the digestive tract.
- Stronger heart– making the heart work hard, as it does with this type of exercise, literally makes the muscles of the heart stronger (which in turn helps get more oxygen everywhere)
- Less body aches– moving the body in a healthy way helps keep aches and pains at bay
- Longevity– countless studies have shown that daily exercise that increases heart rate also increases lifespan
With that I will leave you with a quote by Matthew McConaughey that has always resonated with me and become something I strive to do daily as well.
