5 Great Reasons to Get Moving

Nothing else you can do for yourself has more benefits than regular exercise. Sure, exercise burns calories. And it tones muscles, tightening up arms and cinching in that waistline. But there are plenty of other reasons to get up and get moving:



1. More energy

This one's hard to believe, but exercising will make you feel more energetic. When scientists at the University of New Orleans asked 42 volunteers to assess their mood before and after a 50-minute Aerobics class, most of them said they felt less tense and less tired after breaking a sweat. In a 1997 study, researchers found that a brisk 10-minute walk gave people more energy than eating a candy bar. How can that be? Exercise boosts a hormone that increases energy. And it doesn't take more than a few workouts before strength and the lungs' capacity to provide oxygen to working muscles improve, increasing stamina -- which is enough to make anyone feel more energetic.

2. Less stress

Just one simple workout can ease stress and anxiety. In an experiment at Indiana University, researchers used psychological tests to gauge anxiety levels in 15 volunteers before and after a 20-minute session on an exercise cycle. The volunteers all reported feeling significantly less anxious during an hour or two after the workout. Exercise enhances the flow of brain chemicals, such as serotonin, that are related to positive mood. Because it also increases core body temperature, it can be as relaxing as a good soak in a hot tub.

3. A sharper mind

Exercise can even spark creativity. Researchers at England's Middlesex University tested creative thinking in a group of 63 volunteers -- once after they'd done an aerobic workout and once after they'd sat around watching a video. After the workout, volunteers in the experiment felt more positive and scored higher on creativity.

4. healthier arteries

Physical activity boosts levels of high-density lipoproteins, or HDL, the so-called good cholesterol, by as much as 20 percent. HDL helps rid the body of low-density lipoproteins, or LDL, the artery-clogging kind. Studies show that HDL can even pick up cholesterol deposited in arteries and move it to where it won't do harm. Another benefit to the arteries: The level of fat particles in the blood, called triglycerides, falls by as much as 40 percent after a vigorous workout. Exercising converts triglycerides into fatty acids -- the form in which fat can be burned for energy. You burn stored fat each and every time you work out -- the key to keeping weight off. Plus you lower your level of triglycerides in the blood. And the lower your triglyceride level, studies show, the lower your risk of heart disease.

5. Better defenses

The moment you begin exercising, your heart starts pounding and your blood pressure surges, sweeping disease-fighting immune cells out into the blood, where they're able to detect troublemakers like cold or flu viruses. Studies show that people who exercise have 40 to 50 percent fewer sick days than their sit-around-and-do-nothing counterparts.