Fitness & your health in motion

In this article we would like to highlight the physical, mental and restorative benefits of your physical activity in terms of your vitality and your health in motion.

Exercise keeps you healthy: this is a popular saying that everyone has been confronted with to a greater or lesser extent. The positive effects of physical activity on subjective and objective health are undisputed. 

Whether for health promotion, as a primary, secondary or tertiary preventive measure or for physical and mental health problems, positive effects of your physical activity can always be seen.

Even though exercise and sport are often seen as an underestimated health resource, physical activity is one of the best-known factors influencing life expectancy, quality of life and general well-being, especially since it also includes a relevant social component. The scientific reasons for this are being researched more and more intensively and are increasingly better understood and accepted by laypeople.

Your sporting activities are your daily “medicine” for your physical and mental health, which, last but not least, expresses your joy in life. Sport makes you happy and why is that?

During and after exercise, various hormones are released, some of which act as antagonists. This leads to our parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems being brought into balance. 

The parasympathetic nervous system sends out various signals, including hormones, for relaxation, sleep, activation of the immune system and regeneration processes. 

The sympathetic nervous system and its signals keep us awake, increase blood sugar levels in stressful situations, and make us focused and active. 

The sympathetic mode is the so-called "fight and flight mode", the parasympathetic mode is the "rest-and-digest mode".

It is crucial for overall physiological and mental health that the two systems are in balance. 

Unfortunately, this is often not the case in our everyday lives, which are often far too hectic.

Due to a lack of exercise, poor nutrition and an unhealthy, stressful lifestyle, hormones build up and cannot be released. This leads to constant internal stress and excessive stress hormones are released, which are no longer balanced out by relaxation hormones and endorphins.

Dopamine and serotonin are two examples of neurotransmitters (hormones) that many people who are under constant stress suffer from a deficiency. 

Ultimately, it is important that the imbalance described causes tension and that you ensure balancing moments of lightness, relaxation and happiness in your life.  Exercise can potentially promote endorphins and very certainly other relaxation and happiness hormones.

Below you will find further additions: 

anti-aging

It has been scientifically proven that regular exercise and physical activity have an anti-aging effect. Regular exercise stimulates the body to form new cells and thus stay young and functional. Muscle tissue is strained and the cells destroyed in the process are renewed after training. Healthy muscle tissue is also important for the renewal of the cellular power plants or mitochondria. Mitochondria are crucial for the proper functioning of our body and for our general health and longevity. In addition, the muscle is one of the most important physical actors, a recognized endocrine organ that produces and releases myokines, which implies a complex interaction between muscles and other tissues. On the one hand, these messengers address the muscle itself and lead to numerous adaptations that make the muscle grow and perform better. In addition, myokines reach many other organs via the blood, such as the heart, brain, bones, immune system, pancreas, skin and fatty tissue, and thus have a positive effect on diseases such as type II diabetes, the cardiovascular system and metabolism, as well as on the elasticity of blood vessels. Our muscles can therefore significantly slow down all aging processes.

immune system

Regular exercise can help prepare our immune system for potential threats. This is likely due to the increased blood flow to cells and the release of immune messengers when you exercise muscle cells. Physically active people also tend to maintain healthy numbers of T lymphocytes in their immune system, which help their body detect the risk of potential pathogens and cancers.

cardiovascular system

Physical activity has a positive effect on the cardiovascular system. The heart is a muscle and becomes more efficient through regular exercise. During physical exertion, the heart beats more frequently and pumps more blood per minute into the body to supply it with sufficient oxygen. A trained heart can therefore supply the body with oxygen-rich blood with fewer beats than an untrained heart. This has the positive effect that the resting heart rate is lower in athletic people. Your training program should ideally consist of a combination of endurance training (jogging, swimming, cycling) and strength training (moderate weight lifting) in order to achieve the greatest possible benefit. Together, these two types of sport offer the greatest benefit.

musculoskeletal system

Physical activity and strength training are important for maintaining and building muscle mass. Resistance training starts a process called muscle hypertrophy, which involves actively tearing muscle fibers to reconnect them and build muscle mass. This releases anabolic (growth) hormones that allow our muscles to absorb amino acids and grow. The result is more resilient muscles. Strong muscles also mean stronger bones to move effectively. Our bone health changes at different stages of life - factors such as age and menopause are known to weaken bone density. Studies have shown that exercise and strength training can be effective in building bone density and preventing and treating osteoporosis, as our bones are made of living tissue that creates more cells in response to strenuous activity. Building muscle strength and endurance through exercise can also increase flexibility and reduce chronic pain. It is a natural remedy that helps with posture problems, chronic fatigue syndrome and other aches and pains that can occur in the body. In addition, consistent exercise can also have an impact on weight control, which can minimize joint pain when a healthy weight is maintained.

Mental Health

Exercise improves mental health, cognitive function and creative processes. Regular physical activity plays an important role in regulating brain processes and releasing neurotransmitters that help you function every day. Improved mood is one of the most immediate benefits that people who are physically active enjoy on a regular basis. Exercise is known to increase serotonin levels, helping the brain to better regulate mood and appetite. It also stimulates the release of endorphins, natural hormones released in the brain that promote feelings of happiness and well-being.

creativity 

Your brain's creative processes can also benefit from physical activity! Research has shown that the hippocampus is not only responsible for memory function, but also for imagining new situations. The brain stores and processes information and can make predictions about future events and possibilities. This is important for practicing critical thinking and innovation throughout life. Even a quick walk around the block can stimulate creative thinking. It allows your brain to clear its head for a moment and recharge to approach a situation with new ideas. This can be especially helpful if you've been indoors for a long time and need a "mental break" before getting back to work.

 Sleep

Exercise and sleep are reciprocal, meaning that a high level of physical activity leads to better sleep and vice versa. Exercise helps you fall asleep faster and makes it easier to sleep through the night and improves the quality of sleep. There are several reasons for this: Firstly, it increases adenosine levels, which has a positive effect on the sleep-wake cycle. In addition, recent studies show that exercise increases the overall length of sleep and in particular the deep sleep phase, the phase in which the body regenerates best. Furthermore, exercise helps reduce stress by clearing the mind and eliminating stress symptoms in the body. Research has shown that the early morning hours or afternoons are the best times to exercise, as exercising late in the evening can interfere with the natural release of melatonin, a hormone that regulates the body's sleep cycle. A regular exercise program puts your body on the right track to make the most of both the waking and resting hours.