We are searching data for your request:
Upon completion, a link will appear to access the found materials.
Some benefits of exercise take longer to realize than others.
Ryan McVay/Digital Vision/Getty Images
Exercise has an amazing range of benefits, some of which are immediate and others may take a very long time to achieve. Some immediate but short-lived benefits of exercise include lifting your mood, improving cognitive function and lowering blood pressure. Improvements in strength and aerobic fitness can take a bit longer to realize, and visible changes in body composition and noticeable gains in athletic performance are probably months off. Finally, long-term health benefits, like reducing your risk for chronic diseases come with sustained activity.
Improve Mood, Memory and Blood Pressure
A relatively short bout of moderate-activity, like walking around the block or going for an easy bike ride, triggers neural activity in the brain that can boost your mood for up to 12 hours. Exercise also immediately improves cognitive function where short-term memory is concerned. If you suffer from hypertension, then you'll be happy to know that a single moderate-intensity exercise bout can immediately lower your blood pressure by as much as 12 points and the effect can last for up to 16 hours. These benefits are short-lived, however, so to make them ongoing, you should exercise daily.
Get Stronger in Just a Few Weeks
If you're new to strength training, you'll probably begin to feel noticeably stronger within just a couple of weeks. Apparent improvements in strength happen before actual muscle growth occurs because of the neural adaptations that take place when you first learn a new exercise. Your brain quickly sends signals to once-dormant muscle fibers calling them into action to complete a lift, and your body learns the coordination involved in performing those movements, making you seem stronger early on. With rigorous training, true physiological strength gains occur after around eight weeks. Lifting a relatively heavy weight for two or more sets of up to six repetitions is a good strategy for building strength.
Improve Body Composition, Boost Performance
If you're trying to lose weight, build muscle, get faster or go longer, you'll need to be a little more patient. Following a smart training program specifically tailored to your fitness or performance goals should start to pay off after a few months. Where fat loss is concerned, how much you need to lose before you can tell a difference depends on how much you have to lose in the first place. A sensible timeline for weight loss is around one to two pounds per week. Where athletic performance is concerned, sport-specific adaptations can only be achieved after an initial base of fitness has been reached.
Reduce Long-Term Disease Risks
The long-term health benefits of exercise, such as lower cholesterol levels, reduced risk for heart disease and improved aerobic capacity and functional strength are directly tied to the number of minutes per week you are active. Logging more minutes per week can help you reach these benefits sooner. For good health, aim to do at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity on most days of the week, and complete a total body resistance workout two or three times per week on non-consecutive days. To maintain a functional range of motion in the joints, flexibility training is also recommended at least twice per week.