Benefits of Exercise: the Good, the Great, and the Excellent

Some people associate health with physical well-being. Others associate it with mental well-being. Different people may even associate it with social well-being. While everyone may interpret what it means to be healthy differently, their beliefs are all rooted in and partially come from one activity: exercise. Whether somebody includes it in their daily routine for the physical benefits, for the social perks that come along with it, or for the confidence and improvement in one's mental state that it may cause, including it in your routines in some way, shape, or form is a necessary personal investment. Exercise is an important factor to incorporate in life as a result of the mental, physical, and overall beneficial effects on quality of life caused by working to stay fit.

To understand all the positive effects of exercise, we must look at it from three different aspects, the first of them being the short term effects that physical activity can have on daily life. Researchers looking to determine the effects on mood of exercise gathered test-subjects, grouped them by the hundreds, and exposed them to various amounts of exercise. Following the conclusion of their study, Over 11% of participants claimed that they were “happy all the time,” and over 50% of participants claimed that they were now “happier most of the time” compared to their daily lives prior to the addition of exercise (Zhang). Additional day to day benefits include a variety of positive factors including improved sleep, improved energy, and reduced fatigue, which once again relates to overall more positive day to day moods.

The next aspect of physical activity to analyze is its long-term effects on mental health and wellbeing. Positive long-term moods were identified in people of ages fifteen through eighteen and in adults of varying ages, confirming exercise as a “significant predictor” of happiness in certain individuals and it was identified to share similar qualities to those of antidepressants and anxiolytics (Rasmussen). Essentially, while not totally preventative, evidence suggests that exercise can improve and serve as a good way to combat depressive symptoms. A long-term decrease in the risk for chronic diseases such as Alzheimer's and Dementia was shown as well.

Lastly, we take a look at the overall effects that physical activity has on overall quality of life. Defining quality of life as consisting of physical, social, emotional, spiritual, and cognitive well-being, it can be concluded that exercise has a strong influence on all five categories. Those willing to make the changes necessary in their routines to incorporate physical activity saw improvements in self-confidence, self-discipline, and self-acceptance, all leading to increased general happiness in these people (Gill). The better moods and the happiness that accompany the hard work that is put into physical activity is self-rewarding and makes it all worth it.

Having provided you with many of the rewarding benefits of exercise, it is up to you, the reader, to begin to implement physical activity in your routines yourself. Your happiness, health, and future are at stake so make the decision to get fit today so that you tomorrow can look back and be grateful.