What are the mental benefits of exercise?

From childhood to adulthood, both teachers and parents have always asked us to exercise more. This shows that exercise has many benefits to the spirit and also has certain positive effects on our physical health. The benefits of various sports are different. If we have any needs, we can do that kind of exercise. Next, let us understand the benefits of exercise to the spirit. In our future life, we must also do more exercise.

1. Running is a whole-body exercise that can make the muscles of the whole body contract and relax rhythmically, increase muscle fibers and protein content. Well-developed muscles are one of the hallmarks of bodybuilding.

2. Skeleton is the support of the body and the lever for human activities. For adolescents in the growth and development period, insisting on running can improve blood circulation, increase the supply of nutrients to bone cells, and enhance the growth ability of bone cells, thereby promoting normal bone development. In the elderly, metabolism weakens, muscles gradually atrophy, bones undergo degenerative changes, and bone and joint diseases become more and more common. Persistent running can enhance metabolism, delay degenerative changes in bones, prevent the occurrence of senile bone and joint diseases, and thus delay aging.

3. The heart is the central hub of blood supply throughout the body and the driving force of life. If you keep running for a long time, your heart muscle will be strong and powerful, and the amount of protein and myoglobin will increase. Under X-ray fluoroscopy, it can be clearly seen that an athlete's heart is larger than that of an average person, has a fuller shape, and beats more powerfully. The average person's heart blood capacity is 765-785 ml, while that of a person who insists on exercising can reach 1015-1027 ml. The heartbeat can be slowed down by 10-20 beats per minute than that of a normal person, thus reducing the burden on the heart. On the other hand, running can enhance the heart's tolerance. As we all know, when the average person's heart rate exceeds 100 beats per minute, they will feel dizzy, anxious, and breathless; while people who run for a long time can tolerate it up to 150 beats per minute.

4. Human life activities cannot be separated from oxygen for a moment. We inhale fresh oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide. Important indicators of respiratory health are vital capacity and maximum ventilation. Running can develop the respiratory muscles and increase lung capacity by 1-2 liters. The maximum oxygen uptake of trained athletes can be increased by 33-60% compared to ordinary people.

5. Running can enhance gastrointestinal motility, increase the secretion of digestive juices, improve digestion and absorption capabilities, thereby increasing appetite, supplementing nutrition, and strengthening the body.

6. For women, running helps regulate menstruation and reduce gynecological diseases. American obstetrician and gynecologist Shane Goeder investigated the menstrual cycles of 394 female athletes in the 1979 New York Marathon and found that 26% of women with menstrual disorders resumed normal cycles and 17% of women with amenorrhea resumed menstruation. This is because running increases metabolism, promotes digestion and absorption, regulates nervous system function, and improves endocrine function.

7. Running can temper one's will and perseverance, enhance resilience and patience, improve sensitivity, and promote the ability to adapt to the environment.

Whether we want to lose weight or keep fit, we should do some physical exercise so that we can have a strong body to face every challenge and every difficulty in life. The benefits of exercise to the spirit are self-evident, but what is more important for us is to learn to persist. Persistent exercise will definitely bring different gains, and we will also be able to do what we want to do and do more meaningful things better.