Why Fitness Should Be a Priority as You Get Older
Your personal fitness is a crucial aspect of your overall health and wellbeing, serving as a reflection of physical ability. Getting exercise is crucial for keeping your body at ultimate functioning levels, able to do as much as possible. As we age, it may seem less important to stay physically active and in good shape, but the opposite is actually the truth. Your fitness needs to be even more important than before to function properly and age gracefully. Here are three reasons why fitness should be a priority as you get older for your health.
Reduce Stress
The first reason why fitness should be a priority as you get older is because it helps to reduce your stress. Through the release of many hormones, but most famously endorphins, exercise floods your body with neurotransmitters that cause positive feelings and help to reduce stress levels in your body. Overtime, stress adds up, so as you age, your stress reduction and maintenance are more important than ever before to keep your mind healthy and operational. Cardiovascular exercise as well as weightlifting are both shown to reduce stress in individuals who can perform them regularly.
Maintain Muscle Mass
Another great reason why fitness should be a priority as you get older is to help maintain muscle mass. Naturally as you age, your body’s ability to build, develop, and maintain muscle tissue decreases. Without training, you’ll start to lose muscle mass at the start of your 30’s. But if you start lifting weights and exercising, you are able to maintain your muscle mass throughout your life much better. This gives you increased mobility and independence throughout your later life, which is essential to care for yourself. Without training, you won’t maintain the level of muscle mass that you will want.
Prevent Heart Disease
The final reason that fitness should be a priority for you as you get older is to help you prevent heart disease. Heart disease and cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in the United States. The most effective way to train your heart and ward off the risk of heart disease is through regular cardiovascular exercise. By exercising your heart, you could keep it beating for years to come.
Fitness is crucial at any age, not just when you are young. In fact, fitness is even more important as you age. With reasons like these, you should be taking care of your fitness more carefully as you get older.
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