Sweat your way smart

Sweat your way smart

Have you ever vowed to get ready for swimsuit season by starting to exercise — only to end up too busy, tired, or achy? The right motivation can make you 70% more likely to keep it up for the long haul. But focusing only on weight loss can cut your odds of success by over half, say researchers. A better inspiration: the amazing health rewards you get by being active. A stronger heart and lower cancer risk are two well-known benefits. Here, more that are guaranteed to motivate.

1. A single treadmill session can make you brainier. Exercisers who ran just two 3-minute sprints, with a 2-minute break in between, learned new words 20% faster than those who rested, in a Germany study. Getting your heart pumping increases blood flow, delivering more oxygen to your noggin. It also spurs new growth in the areas of the brain that control multitasking, planning, and memory.

2. It may seem counter intuitive, but rest isn’t necessarily best for reducing pain and stiffness in the knees, shoulders, back, or neck. Healthy adults who did aerobic activity consistently had 25% less musculoskeletal pain than their couch-bound peers. Exercise releases endorphins, the body’s natural pain reliever, and may make you less vulnerable to tiny tears in muscles and tendons. Staying active can also provide relief for chronic conditions such as arthritis.

3. An active lifestyle may help you check off extra items on your to-do list, says one study. On days staffers participated in on-site fitness activities, they reported thinking more clearly, getting more done, and interacting more effectively with colleagues. You’ll be less likely to miss work due to illness, too. Research shows that people who participate in vigorous leisure-time physical activity (such as jogging or bicycling) just once or twice a week take about half the sick time of those who are more sedentary.

4. A good workout practically ensures a better body image. Studies find that women ages 42 to 58 felt more attractive after 4 months of walking or yoga even if they didn’t lose weight. Exercise can also put you in the mood for love by increasing blood flow to the genitals. Recent research found that just one 20-minute cycling workout enhanced sexual arousal up to 169% in women. And the benefits stand the test of time: Another study of swimmers found that those over age 60 were as satisfied sexually as those decades younger.

5. Moderate exercise doesn’t just rev your metabolism — it boosts your immune system, too, helping your body fight off cold bugs and other germs. Women ages 50 to 75 who did 45 minutes of cardio, 5 days a week, had a third as many colds as those who did once-weekly stretching sessions.

6. Say good night to poor sleep. Women age 60 and older who walked or danced for at least an hour, four times a week, woke up half as often and slept an average 48 minutes more a night than sedentary women, according to one study. That is good news for the many women who toss and turn more as they get older. As you age, sleep patterns start shifting, so you spend more of the night in lighter sleep phases.

7. The next time you feel puffy around the middle, resist the urge to stay put. One study suggests that mild physical activity clears gas and alleviates bloating. That’s because increasing your heart rate and breathing stimulates the natural contractions of the intestinal muscles, helping to prevent constipation and gas buildup by expediting digestion.

8. If you’re among the 50% of adults who report feeling tired at least 1 day a week, skip the java and go for a walk. Researchers who analyzed 70 different studies concluded that moving your body increases energy and reduces fatigue. Regular exercise boosts certain fatigue-fighting brain chemicals such as norepinephrine and dopamine, which pep you up, and serotonin, a mood enhancer.

The Team at i-Supplements.com

Get moving and sweat your way smart with the help of www.i-Supplements.com!