We all know that fitness is an essential part of everyday life. There are plenty of reasons why you should do what you can to improve your fitness levels – but we wanted to bring you some random fitness facts that you might have no idea about!
Remember that when it comes to your fitness, there is no one size fits all approach – focus on what’s good for you, and you’ll enjoy your fitness all the more.
Onto the fitness facts!
1. Working out boosts your immune system
If you take part in daily exercise, you might notice that your general health starts to dramatically improve. This means you’re less likely to suffer from coughs and colds, as well as finding that your body is less likely to suffer from aches and pains.
2. Working out improves your inner health
Taking part in regular exercise helps to boost the amount of high-density lipoprotein in your system. Known as the “good cholesterol”, HDL helps to lower your blood pressure and limits the risks of heart attacks and strokes.
3. Working out can improve your mental health
This is true in two ways. If we’re feeling tense and stressed, a workout session can help us to let off steam and give us somewhere to channel our negative energy. Not only that but when we exercise our body produces satisfaction hormones known as endorphins which can help boost our mood even after a bad day.
4. Working out can improve your insomnia
If you find it difficult to get to sleep at night, you might find that incorporating regular fitness into your daily routine helps to fix that. Before you go to bed, you might also want to consider some light stretches to ease out the tension of the day and leave you ready for the land of nod.
5. Working out can boost your sex life
If you’re feeling a little lackluster in the bedroom department, you might find that some regular exercise helps you to feel healthier and happier in your body. Some research has shown that regular exercise also boosts blood flow in the body, which can improve the feelings of stimulation.
6. Working out doesn’t have to be lonely
When we’re talking about working out, we don’t just mean putting in endless sessions at the gym. Instead, consider taking a dance class, joining a local sports team, or going for a long hike with family and friends. This can be a great way to improve your fitness without feeling like you’re doing boring reps all the time.
7. Working out can make you smarter
Cardiovascular workouts boost the health of the heart. This means that oxygenated blood is being pumped all over the body, including to the brain. Some research has shown that increasing the amount of oxygen to the brain can improve cognitive function and improved mental capacities.
8. Exercise can help you live longer (and better!)
It’s said that for every hour of cardiovascular exercise that you do, you’re adding around 2 hours onto your lifespan. While this might be up for debate, getting into healthy routines when you’re younger can mean that you live longer, and can enjoy mobility and personal freedom for longer.
9. Exercise helps the anti-aging process
Not only is blood pumped to your brain when you exercise, but it’s also pumped to your largest organ: the skin. Working out for over 120 minutes a week is a great way to boost blood flow to the skin, making you look younger and more effortless for longer.
10. The most popular workout is…
Perhaps the most widespread international workout is… walking! That’s right, in fact across the US, Canada, UK, and Australia, around 70% of people say that walking is a crucial part of their fitness routine.
11. How much is fitness worth?
In 2016, the global revenue for the health and fitness club sector was estimated to be around $83.15 billion.
12. How many people is that?
Of that $83.15 billion, this means that over 150 million people enjoy membership to a gym or fitness club. Of this huge number, around 55 million people are based in the US, which is more than a third of the global participation.
13. Your body picks your fitness
You might find that there are certain kinds of exercise that you’re good at – and some that you just cannot get your head around. That’s potentially due to the kind of muscle mass fibers that you have in your body. People with fast-twitch fibers are more likely to enjoy high-intensity cardiovascular workouts, while those who have slower twitch muscle mass fibers are usually great at endurance.
14. To stretch or not to stretch?
If you think back to your school days, stretching before and after phys ed was an essential part of the process. While stretching certainly feels good and helps you to limber up, some research is beginning to show now that it’s not the most beneficial for preventing injuries.!
15. Squat strength
The International Powerlifting Federation record for the heaviest squat is held by Lough Bonica, who handled 689 lbs to squat in 2017. To give you some context, the average body weight of a woman in the US is 168 lbs, so Lough handled nearly four!
16. Brain tired, body wired
While you might find that tiredness means you make more mistakes at work, or find yourself doing silly things at home, there’s some good news. Research has shown that being tired doesn’t impact your body’s ability to undergo anaerobic exercise.
17. Better with Beetroot
If you’re looking for an all-natural boost before a workout, try a beetroot smoothie. Adding 140ml of beetroot juice a couple of hours before you workout can help to improve your performance.
18. Workouts need music
If you’re looking for the best way to get motivated – or stay motivated throughout your workout – then listening to music or motivational videos can help you to get into the zone and stay there until you’re done.
19. Coffee breaks
Some research shows that when you enjoy caffeine before your workout, you’ll enjoy a better lower body performance than without it. However, it’s important to remember that a lot of caffeinated drinks outside of coffee include huge amounts of sugar, so be careful not to set yourself up for a crash!
20. Change it up
You may find that after a certain amount of working out, you hit a plateau where you’re not getting any worse – but you’re not getting any better. This is a completely natural aspect of working out, and all it takes is a few tweaks to get you back on the right path again.
The bottom line when it comes to exercise and working out is that it’s good for your mood, your mental health, your physical health, and your long-term health. In fact, it’s fair to say that there are very few reasons you shouldn’t engage in an exercise of some kind.