5. Increases lung capacity
Whether engaging in high-intensity exercise or taking a calm walk through the park, your lungs are in action. Your lungs engage in two important ways: they pull oxygen into the body to provide energy and push out the carbon dioxide waste you create during energy production.
The harder you work out, the more oxygen and carbon dioxide your body has to process. This means that exercising regularly gives you larger breathing reserves, allowing your body to incorporate oxygen into your bloodstream more efficiently.
Even if you live with lung disease, it’s important to get regular exercise to strengthen your lungs and alleviate some of its effects. Always consult your doctor or a physical therapist to find types of exercises that you can incorporate into your daily living without harming your lungs.
6. Improves heart health
You can use exercise as both a preventable measure and therapeutic treatment for cardiovascular diseases — the leading causes of mortality globally.
Similar to the effects of exercise on the lungs, physical activity requires your heart to adapt and strengthen to increase oxygen and blood flow. Over time, the restructuring of your heart helps regulate high blood pressure, decreases inflammation of the blood vessels, and lowers resting heart rate. And regular exercise can increase your production of healthy cholesterol.
The combined benefits of regular exercise reduce stress on the heart and improve cardiovascular functions, both for healthy people and those living with heart disease.