67 Minutes of Exercise for Madiba Day!

67minutes seems to be the phrase that is on everyone’s mind in July.  So before you think that we going to suggest 67 fruit portions or 67 calories per day, lets puts more emphasis on our health to allow us to take part in the 67minutes for Madiba Day.

67minutes  of exercise on a regular basis.

The health benefits of regular exercise and any physical activity are hard to ignore:

1.       Controls weight

When you exercise or do any form of physical activity you ‘burn’ calories, and the more intense the exercise the more calories you ‘burn’.  This will allow you to prevent excess weight gain or help maintain a healthy weight.

2.       Prevents health conditions and lifestyle diseases

Type 2 diabetes, depression, arthritis and high blood pressure are all manageable and/or preventable through regular exercise.  Weight control through exercise is a number one benefit to prevent the development of any lifestyle diseases.  The second benefit is that exercise helps maintain healthy blood flow, decreasing cardiovascular risks as well as decreasing cholesterol levels promoting better health.

3.       Improves mood

Exercise stimulates the brain to release feel-good hormones (endorphins) leaving you feeling happier and more relaxed.  Exercise also allows us to burn off the daily stressors of our busy lifestyles, giving you the opportunity for ‘me’ time. Also, knowing that exercise will improve your appearance will result in a positive psychological boost, making you feel more confident and pick up your self-esteem.

4.       Improves energy

Exercise and any form of physical activity allows for increased delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the various tissues within the body.  This delivery of increased oxygen also helps the cardiovascular system to work more efficiently to allow you to have more energy throughout the day. Exercise also boosts the metabolic rate at which our body functions providing us with more energy.   Exercise improves your sleeping patterns, allowing you to fall asleep easier and to go into a deeper sleep.  More sleep will ultimately result in more energy throughout the day.

It doesn’t have to be 67 minutes of running, but at least being more active throughout the day in simple ways (taking the stairs, walking around at lunch time, household chore, parking further away from the shop entrance).

There are endless benefits of regular exercise.  The general rule is to aim for at least 30minutes of physical activity every day.  But why not try push it for 67minutes on a regular basis to further improve your health.