It is no secret that staying active can have numerous benefits. Physical activity can improve your overall well-being and reduce the risk of chronic diseases. It can also improve your mental health, help you lose weight, reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes and lower your blood pressure. But are all physical activities created equal? Are there any activities that are more beneficial than others? Are there any activities that you can do in just 60 minutes a week and see great results?
As a nutritionist who specializes in helping busy professionals optimize their time while also improving their health, I get asked these questions all the time. And after extensively researching the effects of various types of physical activity on our bodies, I have found that there are some activities that are more beneficial than others for short-term outcomes like losing weight and lowering blood pressure, as well as long-term outcomes like reducing the risk of chronic disease or even lengthening our life span.
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Aerobic Activities
Aerobic activities include various forms of cardio that get you breathing heavily. These can include running, swimming, cycling, rowing, or any other exercise where your heart rate is elevated, you are sweating and your muscles are burning. There are many health benefits associated with aerobic activities. They can help you lose weight, and reduce your risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, and certain types of cancers. They can also lower your blood pressure and reduce anxiety. Because aerobic activities are associated with improved blood flow, they can even help you think more clearly and may improve your sleep quality.
Strength Training Activities
Strength Training is also known as resistance training. Different from aerobic activities, strength training exercises involve lifting weights. Examples of strength training exercises are squats, deadlifts, and bench presses. While aerobic activities are associated with improved heart health and weight loss, strength training is associated with improved muscle health, especially if you do it with a specific program that includes progressive overload. Because strength training exercises are associated with developing stronger muscles, they can also help you burn more calories throughout the day.
Types of Activities That Are Not Worth Your Time
As we saw above, aerobic and strength training activities have many health benefits. While other types of activities have some benefits, they are not associated with as many health benefits as aerobic or strength training exercises. These types of activities include walking, yoga, Pilates, and other forms of exercise that do not get your heart rate elevated.
This is because when your heart rate is not elevated, your blood flow is not improved, and therefore the health benefits associated with aerobic exercise are not realized. For example, walking is usually associated with improved mental health, but not with improved heart health or weight loss.
Conclusion
It is no secret that staying active can have numerous benefits. Physical activity can improve your overall well-being and reduce the risk of chronic diseases. It can also improve your mental health, help you lose weight, reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes and lower your blood pressure. But are all physical activities created equal? Are there any activities that are more beneficial than others? Are there any activities that you can do in just 60 minutes a week and see great results?
As a nutritionist who specializes in helping busy professionals optimize their time while also improving their health, I get asked these questions all the time. And after extensively researching the effects of various types of physical activity on our bodies, I have found that there are some activities that are more beneficial than others for short-term outcomes like losing weight and lowering blood pressure, as well as long-term outcomes like reducing the risk of chronic disease or even lengthening our life span.
We saw above that aerobic and strength training exercises are the most beneficial forms of physical activity. These are the types of activities that you should be incorporating into your fitness routine if you want to see great results.
