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The Lesser-Known Benefits of Exercise on Men’s Health
We’ve all heard it before — exercise works wonders for your mind and body. But, how does consistent exercise translate into the everyday lives of men? Keep reading to learn about some of the lesser-known (but really impressive) benefits of exercise on men’s health.
You’ll Increase Odds of Being More Successful
So, what are the first lesser-known benefits of exercise? How about increasing your odds of being successful? Pretty cool.
Runner’s High?
When you exercise, your brain releases endorphins which are a type of neurotransmitter. This chemical release helps with stress and pain relief, therefore helping to make you feel happier.
It’s no wonder that people feel a “runner’s high” after a long run because they were releasing endorphins the entire time.
In retrospect, this feeling then translates into other areas of your life– such as mental health. Exercise can help reduce feelings of depression and anxiety when practiced daily.
This is because physical activity not only releases endorphins but also dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin, all of which help boost your mood and promote better overall wellbeing. With daily exercise, you’ll have a higher level of serotonin, and increased feelings of happiness.
Improved Memory?
Additionally, adrenaline is released when you exercise which helps with strengthening your memory. The adrenaline released will form new brain cells in the hippocampus over time, which is where your memory is stored in the brain.
With more brain cells, it makes remembering important information much easier and will in turn make you more successful in your daily life routine.
While higher intensity workouts emit these brain chemicals, there are also slower-paced exercises like virtual yoga classes that can help people feel more relaxed and at ease.
Meditation has proven to help with feeling inner peace and mindfulness, which can result in better mental stability and a sense of direction in life. It’s a great way to organize your thoughts to prevent high-stress levels when things start to feel chaotic.
All of these things combined will spill over into your personal and professional life. When you feel good mentally, you’ll perform better because you won’t be worried about your mental state.
You’ll have the mental stability and capacity to focus on your job and personal relationships. Engaging in exercise will give you a confidence boost as well as motivation to start achieving your goals and living your dream life since you are mentally prepared. However, it’s important to note that exercise is not a cure-all for mental health problems, but it’s a great place to start and a natural way to feel better.
You’ll Have Better Sex
Did you know that physical activity has the power to help you last longer in bed? Well, it does. If you engage in cardio exercises every day, like running or swimming, you’ll get your heart rate up and in time, build your stamina.
This means you’ll be able to have more fun in bed. Since you won’t get tired as quickly when having intercourse with your partner. Exercise also enhances your self-confidence, as previously mentioned. So it’ll help you look and feel better when it’s time to get intimate.
What About ED?
Another benefit of exercise is that it helps with maintaining an erection because it increases blood flow to the penis.
Although there are many erectile dysfunction medications that can help with this, try exercising first before using an alternative option. Studies conducted by Harvard University found that men who are active for 30 minutes a day are 41% less likely to have trouble getting hard in comparison to those who don’t exercise every day.
In fact, there are even exercises that help with erectile dysfunction and promote better orgasms. Exercises for the pelvic floor muscles, such as Kegels, can improve sexual dysfunction in men if they practice these exercises regularly for at least six months.
Start by locating the correct muscles. The next time you urinate, stop midstream. The muscles being used to do this are your pelvic floor muscles.
Another method for locating your pelvic floor is by tightening the muscles that keep you from passing gas. Once you’ve located the correct muscles, you can move to the floor and lay on your back. Tighten your muscles for three seconds and then relax for three seconds. Once you’ve got the hang of it, you can start to do this standing up when doing activities. Do this for 10 repetitions and try to get in three sets each day.
You’ll Look Younger
As you age, your testosterone levels decrease which can lead to deflating muscle mass and a higher risk of obtaining diabetes. However, these can be reversed by working to produce more testosterone through squatting or weightlifting.
You can also increase testosterone levels by minimizing the amount of alcohol that you consume. Higher testosterone levels keep your muscles defined and will keep you looking toned as you grow older.
Another thing that happens as we age is that collagen production in our skin gets slower. Fibroblasts, the collagen-producing skin cells, work better when they have more blood flow.
This is where exercise comes into play, as it helps blood flow increase and makes it easier for collagen to be produced, resulting in younger-looking skin in a natural way.
Exercise can also enhance your look by helping you to maintain a healthy weight for your age. Speak with your doctor to find out a target weight to keep your body healthy and functioning at its best.
You’ll Live Longer
Lastly, exercise leads to a healthier functioning heart, which in turn can lead to living a longer life. Men, on average, have a shorter life span than women because of factors like taking more dangerous risks and not visiting the doctor when they should. While exercise cannot completely solve these two factors, it can help men have healthier mindsets and also prevent serious health conditions.
For example, cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure can be prevented by doing cardio exercises daily. Getting the heart pumping will increase its functions and allow it to manage your body with fewer complications. Taking care of your physical fitness will also make it easier to recover from any injuries or medical conditions down the road.
Look at exercise as an added ritual into your every day, just as you look at brushing your teeth or taking a shower. Make it something to look forward to rather than viewing it as a chore. There are great benefits to daily exercise and the simple 30-minute act can make all the difference.
Conclusion
We hope you see here that there are so many benefits to exercise. The more obvious benefits of exercise are well known – weight loss and muscle growth. We hope you enjoyed learning about some of the lesser-known benefits here.
If you enjoyed this article please head over to our other articles where you can learn about other Hacks to stay happy and healthy.