Incorporating Exercise into a Healthy Lifestyle
June 27, 2020
by Madelyn Geier, SIUE Senior Intern in Exercise Science
Many people are interested in getting in better shape but are often given conflicting information on what the best way to do that is. The truth? There isn’t one “best” way- it all depends on what your long-term fitness goals are. Do you want to lose weight? Do you want to gain muscle mass? Do you want to improve your flexibility and mobility? Do you want to run faster and longer? All of the above? I’m going to go over some of the most popular approaches to fitness and how they can build a strong mind and body.
Strength Training:
Strength training is a fantastic form of exercise that can be done at home, in the gym, outside or any place where you have free space. It can be done with a variety of equipment or just your own body weight. Unfortunately, many people intentionally avoid strength training because they prefer a lean physique and don’t want to get “big”. This is a common misconception, and you won’t get “big” unless you’re specifically trying to. Strength training is great because it can be tailored to a variety of body goals, from lean to buff.
Strength training can be performed at any ability level with progressions and regressions of exercises that can be done in a way that allows consistent and noticeable progress. While many associate this progress with visible changes and improvements, regular strength training can also have a tremendous impact on the overall quality of life. It is associated with strong bones, weight management, improved mobility, and lower instances of chronic health issues such as heart disease, obesity, and arthritis (1). Strength training is critical when losing weight since it can help alleviate associated conditions such as type-2 diabetes and will help maintain a healthy body composition as you shed those pounds (2).
Additionally, strength training has been shown to have drastic and positive effects on your mind, not just your body (3). This added benefit means that even though people may simply be trying to improve their physical health or appearance, they will also be making positive changes in their mental health.
Cardiovascular Endurance:
One of the most widespread and beneficial forms of physical activity is cardiovascular endurance training. The awesome thing about endurance training is that if you don’t like running you can choose from a plethora of activities such as swimming, cycling, walking, playing sports, and even dancing! Many people do these activities simply because they enjoy them, but this kind of exercise is extremely beneficial to your health.
The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommend that adults get a minimum of 150 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity (4). Simply meeting this minimum recommendation can lead to lower instances of heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and respiratory illnesses (5). Endurance training also has been found to significantly contribute to healthy weight loss when combined with the appropriate consumption of calories (5).
Aside from the fairly obvious physical and health benefits, cardiovascular exercise has a pronounced effect when it comes to improving your mental health. Endurance training releases endocannabinoids into your bloodstream, which can confer psychoactive benefits such as reduced anxiety and an overall calm state following exercise (6). A form of exercise that can be performed at any ability level and in a variety of ways, cardiovascular endurance training is one of the most beneficial things that you can do for your body and mind.
Flexibility and Mobility:
An important, but often neglected, part of any exercise program or healthy lifestyle is flexibility and mobility training. Flexibility is the ability of your muscles to fully extend and contract; while mobility is your joints’ capability to freely move through their full range of motion. Training both of these through various forms of stretching can help prevent injury, improve your athletic ability, build functional strength for things like carrying groceries and cleaning, and can help your body stay active as you age (7). Additionally, certain forms of stretching, such as Yoga, have been shown to improve sleep patterns, reduce anxiety and depression, while also reducing stress (8).
Mobility and Flexibility training does not contribute directly to weight-loss but is a crucial form of exercise to be done in tandem with losing weight. As your body composition changes and you lose weight it is important to retain full functionality of your joints and muscles. Stretching and mobility activities are a fantastic way of doing this.
Combining The Three:
Flexibility, mobility, endurance, and strength are all crucial to building a healthy mind and body. However, being able to dedicate yourself to all of these can be time-consuming and demoralizing for some people. While there isn't a single "best" form of exercise, there are some training styles that are very time efficient and incorporate endurance, strength, and mobility into one workout. A fantastic way to work on all of them in the span of 10-20 minutes is through High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). This is a form of exercise that combines stretching, cardio, and bodyweight strength into a single workout. HIIT can be done in some form at any ability level and the intensity and difficulty can be increased as you improve. HIIT can improve cardiovascular health, muscular strength, and promote healthy weight loss (9).
References
(1) Strength training: Get stronger, leaner, healthier. (2019, February 23). Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/strength-training/art-20046670
(2) Strasser, B., & Schobersberger, W. (2011). Evidence for Resistance Training as a Treatment Therapy in Obesity. Journal of Obesity, 2011, 1-9. https://doi:10.1155/2011/482564
(3) Gordon, B. R., Mcdowell, C. P., Hallgren, M., Meyer, J. D., Lyons, M., & Herring, M. P. (2018). Association of Efficacy of Resistance Exercise Training With Depressive Symptoms. JAMA Psychiatry, 75(6), 566. https://doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2018.0572
(4) Piercy, K.L., Troiano, R.P., Ballard, R.M., et al. (2018) The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. JAMA, 320(19):2020–2028. https://doi:10.1001/jama.2018.14854
(5) Nystoriak, M. A., & Bhatnagar, A. (2018). Cardiovascular Effects and Benefits of Exercise. Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine, 5. https://doi:10.3389/fcvm.2018.00135
(6) Linden, D. J. (n.d.). The Truth Behind 'Runner's High' and Other Mental Benefits of Running. Retrieved from https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/the-truth-behind-runners-high-and-other-mental-benefits-of-running
(7)Harvard Health Publishing. (n.d.). Benefits of flexibility exercises. Retrieved from https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/benefits-of-flexibility-exercises
(8) Woodyard, C. (2011). Exploring the therapeutic effects of yoga and its ability to increase quality of life. International Journal of Yoga, 4(2), 49. https://doi:10.4103/0973-6131.85485
(9) Villareal, D. T., Aguirre, L., Gurney, A. B., Waters, D. L., Sinacore, D. R., Colombo, E., . . . Qualls, C. (2017). Aerobic or Resistance Exercise, or Both, in Dieting Obese Older Adults. New England Journal of Medicine, 376(20), 1943-1955. https://doi:10.1056/nejmoa1616338
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