"Early to bed, early to rise, makes you healthy, wealthy and wise"

Control your weight
To lose weight you must use up more energy than you take in and there is no better way to burn energy than exercise. Exercise uses up excess calories and increases your resting metabolic rate (the speed at which your body uses energy while at rest).

Regular exercise helps you to lose body fat while assisting to maintain or increase your muscle mass, and is key to maintaining weight loss. Attempting to lose weight and not exercising results in loss of muscle mass which slows down your metabolism.

Improve your mood
Most of us know how good you feel after exercising; not only are you more energised, but you also experience a boost in self esteem and confidence. People who exercise regularly are less likely to be depressed or angry, and are generally less stressed. Studies have found that walking on a treadmill for just 30 minutes a day can boost your mood substantially due to the release of endorphins - your 'feel-good' hormones.

Boost immunity
Did you know that exercising regularly can help prevent you from getting sick by boosting your immune system? When you exercise, increased circulation transports immune boosting substances throughout your body, enhancing your immune system and protecting you from catching colds and flu. However, if you have a fever, muscle ache or a cough then take a break and rest until you feel better.

Stress release
Regular exercise can be an extremely effective stress reliever. When life's annoyances or frustrating situations build up, regular exercise can provide an effective release of these negative emotions and decrease the body's stress hormones like cortisol, and increase endorphins, your body's 'feel-good' hormones, giving your mood a natural boost.

Reduce your risk of lifestyle diseases - diabetes, heart disease and cancer
The benefits of regular physical activity in preventing lifestyle disease (diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, certain cancers and even depression and anxiety) have been widely reported. Regular physical activity can also help manage the symptoms of chronic disease and improve quality of life. For example, swimming can reduce arthritis pain or help those with type 2 diabetes to manage their condition (by itself and when combined with diet and medication).
Start small - even small increases in light to moderate activity will improve your health if you are not currently active. It is important to start slowly and check with your healthcare provider before getting started. For people who are inactive or who have a chronic disease, try starting with 5 minutes a day; find something you like to do and stick with it before gradually increasing your activity level.

Slow down bone loss
Weight-bearing exercise stimulates the bones to increase in strength and density and can delay bone loss in women.

Courtesy – Bakers Bicuits