How Moderate daily exercise can be beneficial for health

Defining Moderate exercise

It is a well known fact that regular moderate exercise is a key part of a healthy lifestyle. But what does "regular moderate exercise" mean? Well, it means just taking at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity at least five days per week.

Brisk walking, jogging, bicycling, dancing and swimming are example of moderate sport activities. But exercise does not mean only sports. Any physical activity can be considered as exercise, including gardening, taking the stairs instead of the lift, walking instead of driving, as well as washing windows or floors. All these are moderate-level physical activities that can have several health benefits.

Benefits of Moderate exercise

Not only taking moderate daily exercise can help lose and manage body weight, but it does have many other benefits on the overall health: it improves mood by stimulating the release of mood-enhancing brain chemicals called endorphins, promotes the efficient functioning of both the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, strengthen bones and muscles, promotes a good night's sleep and help manage stress.

But that's not all. It has been shown that regular physical activity can also help prevent or control some of the most common lifestyle-related diseases, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, atherosclerosis and artery hardening, heart disease, type-2 diabetes and some types of cancer.

Moderate exercise own schedule

In any case, any exercise plan should be personalized on the basis of the individual's age, fitness level and general health. Most people don't need to see a doctor before starting a moderate-level exercise program. However there are certain conditions in which consulting with a doctor is advisable.

These conditions include: being older than 50, not being used to regular moderate exercise and having health problems such as high blood pressure, heart trouble, bone, joint or muscular problems, or severe breathlessness after mild exertion. In all these cases the doctor can suggest to the patient what kind of exercise and how much of it would be appropriate for him or her.

Personalize your own routine

To avoid physical injuries and excessive heart strain, any type of exercise program should be started slowly and then gradually increased in intensity and duration. It would be advisable to start with an easy, light, comfortable activity (such as walking) and then slowly increase the duration and level of activity as the body becomes more used to exercising.

To track the heart rate during and after exercise and check whether the exercise intensity is in the right range, it may be helpful to use a heart rate monitor or take the pulse manually by gently pressing two fingers on the side of the neck and counting the heartbeats for 1 minute.

In most cases, a daily moderate exercise does not pose any risk to health when properly taken. However, certain groups of people (people older than 50, those not used to regular exercise and people affected by certain health conditions) are at a greater risk for complications and therefore should have themselves covered with an appropriate international health insurance.

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