10 benefits of physical activity

It is commonly known that physical activity is good for your health, but did you know that getting enough of it can decrease your chance of developing a range of chronic diseases and can also be beneficial for your mental wellbeing, energy levels, sleep and immune system?¹⁻³

However, 31% of adults and 80% of adolescents don't get enough physical activity, so here we cover some of the benefits in more detail and encourage you to start where you are and try to become more active as part of your everyday activities.¹,⁴ 

The NHS recommends that you do a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate physical activity (such as brisk walking) or 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity (such as running or walking up the stairs) a week spread across a few days.⁴ They also recommend strengthening exercises, such as body weight exercises like push-ups and sit-ups, or carrying heavy shopping, two days a week.²,⁴ 

Incorporating physical activity into your daily routine can have a profound impact on your health, wellbeing and overall quality of life, whatever your age or activity level.¹,⁵

Improves cardiovascular health

Regular moderate (e.g. brisk walking) and vigorous-intensity (e.g. running)  physical activity can have a significant impact on your cardiovascular health by lowering your risk of developing heart disease.⁴⁻⁶ 

Exercise can help strengthen the heart muscle, control blood pressure and blood fat, reduce inflammation and increase levels of "good" cholesterol (HDL or high density lipoproteins).⁵

Research shows that consistent physical activity can lower your chance of developing cardiovascular diseases by up to 35%.⁷ Just one or two sessions of physical activity each week could improve your heart health.⁴ It can also improve circulation and manage or prevent conditions like high cholesterol and high blood pressure.⁸

Even if you already have a cardiovascular disease, you may find benefits to your heart health as well as your wider health by incorporating regular exercise into your routine.⁹ It is recommended that you speak to a healthcare professional before starting a new exercise regime if you have a medical condition.⁶

Enhances mood and mental wellbeing

Exercise can be a great mood booster.² Physical activity increases the amount of endorphins in your body, which act as natural feel-good chemicals.¹⁰ Endorphins may help reduce feelings of stress, improve your mood and reduce pain.¹¹,¹² 

Exercise can also improve your confidence and self-esteem and act as a healthy distraction from any negative thoughts and worries.² Being active may also effectively support some people with depression, either combined with another treatment or by itself.¹³,¹⁴ However, you should always consult with a healthcare professional before making any changes to your treatment plan.

Boosts energy levels

If you often struggle with low energy levels, regular physical activity may help you feel more energetic and less tired.² Even just climbing the stairs in your home or going on a short walk can make a big difference over time.¹⁵

During physical activity, the blood and oxygen flow in your body increases and boosts your metabolism and energy expenditure.¹⁶

Regular exercise can help to manage blood sugar levels, which may help to avoid fluctuations in your energy levels.¹⁷,¹⁸

Promotes better sleep

Sleep is essential to our overall wellbeing.¹⁹ It allows your brain and body to rest, repair and recharge and is crucial for mental and physical health.¹⁹ If you struggle to get enough good quality sleep, being active during the day may help.¹⁹ 

Physical activity can help you drift off quicker and improve the overall quality of your sleep.¹⁹,²⁰ Regular exercise may help you to feel less stressed (which can often disturb sleep) and help to regulate your body's natural circadian rhythm (sleep/wake cycle), contributing to better sleep patterns.¹⁹

Helps maintain a healthy BMI

Physical activity uses calories for energy and combined with a healthy and balanced diet, it can help you maintain a healthy BMI (Body Mass Index).²¹,²² Your BMI estimates if you are a healthy weight for your height and if you have a healthy BMI you may be at lower risk of certain diseases such as cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.²²,²³

BMI is just one aspect of assessing health, as it can’t differentiate between fat and muscle.²²,²³ A further marker you can measure is your body fat percentage which can be done using skinfold calipers, smart weighing scales or from specialist tests.²⁴

Measuring your waist circumference compared to your height can also help guide whether you are carrying excess fat, which can also increase risk of certain chronic diseases.²⁵

Regular exercise and a healthy diet are key factors in actively maintaining a healthy BMI.²²

Strengthens muscles and bones

Your muscles are key in keeping your body working properly. They control several functions, including movement, breathing, digestion and heartbeat.²⁶ However, starting at the age of 40, we start to experience a gradual loss of muscle mass and strength.²⁷ 

Regular resistance exercises such as pushups, squats and planks can help to strengthen muscles and if combined with healthy nutrition and balance or aerobic exercise may improve quality of life.²⁸,²⁹ 

Bones are made up of living tissues and as we age, we begin losing bone strength too.³⁰ Keeping active, especially with weight-bearing exercises, such as walking or jogging, helps increase bone density, keeps bones strong and helps prevent osteoporosis later in life.³¹ 

Osteoporosis can make you at risk of breaking bones in everyday life and affects more than 3 million people in the UK,³² and is more common in women than men.³¹

Reduces risk of chronic diseases

A consistent exercise routine can be an effective way to reduce the risk of various chronic health conditions, including:²,²²,³³,³⁴

• type 2 diabetes
• stroke
• high blood pressure
• metabolic syndrome
• depression
• arthritis
• several types of cancer
• dementia
• osteoporosis

Regular physical activity may also help improve life for people who are already living with a chronic condition.⁹

It may help decrease pain, improve heart health, boost stamina, build muscle, help with joint function, improve balance and reduce the risk of falling.⁹,³⁵

Improves balance and coordination

As we get older, maintaining our coordination and balance becomes even more important in helping prevent injury and falls.³⁵

Regular physical activity can help prevent falls by strengthening your muscles, improving balance, flexibility and stamina.³⁵,³⁶ Certain activities, such as balance exercises and Tai Chi, can be particularly beneficial in helping to prevent falls.³⁶

Enhances cognitive function

Exercise can also have a powerful impact on the brain.³⁷ It is thought to increase blood flow to the prefrontal cortex in the brain, triggering physiological changes and supporting the health and survival of new brain cells.³⁸

Exercise can help to improve memory, concentration and problem solving skills.³⁷,³⁹ Regular physical activity also indirectly boosts these factors by improving sleep and mood and reducing anxiety and stress, which are often issues that can contribute to cognitive impairment.²,³⁷,⁴⁰,⁴¹

Physical activity can also help lower the risk of cognitive decline and studies have found that it may reduce the risk of dementia by 20%.⁴²

Supported immune system

A well functioning immune system is essential for fighting off infections and illnesses and keeping us healthy.⁴³ 

Physical activity increases the circulation of immune cells in the body, helping them catch any foreign bodies such as viruses.³ This helps your body detect future infections and be better prepared to fight them.⁴⁴

When your body detects something harmful, your immune system kicks in to protect you by attacking the virus or bacteria and removing them from the body.⁴³ 

Moderate physical activity, such as brisk walking, supports the normal functioning  of your body's immune response and may delay the decline in an effective immune response as you get older.³

Improving heart health, boosting energy levels, reducing the risk of developing chronic conditions, maintaining a healthy BMI and supporting your mental health are just some of the benefits of physical activity.²,⁵,²² 

To find out more about how you can get active and enjoy all the benefits it offers, download the H&B&Me app and start working towards your health and fitness goals.

FAQs

What are 10 specific benefits of physical activity?

Ten of the benefits of physical activity may bring you are:²,³,⁵,¹⁰,²²,²⁸,³¹,³⁵⁻³⁷

• improved cardiovascular health
• supporting mental health
• supporting healthy weight management
• strengthened muscles and bones
• supports a well functioning immune system
• better quality of sleep
• increased energy
• lowered risk of chronic diseases
• improved cognitive function
• better flexibility, balance and coordination

What are 5 physical benefits of physical activity?

There are numerous physical benefits to physical activity, here are five of them:⁵,²²,²⁸,³¹,³⁵

• improved cardiovascular health 
• increased muscle strength
• better bone health
• improved flexibility
• supports a healthy BMI 

What are seven benefits of physical activity?

Physical activity has enormous potential benefits, including reduced risk of stress, supporting mental health, supporting a healthy heart and circulatory system and may help with supporting a healthy BMI.²,⁵,²²

Regular exercise may also boost muscle strength, help improve the quality of sleep and support a well functioning immune system.³,¹⁰,²⁸

What are three benefits of daily physical activity?

Just three of the potential benefits of exercising every day are keeping your heart healthy, strengthening your muscles and reducing the risk of stress.²,⁵,²⁸

 

 

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