Shocking Facts About Fitness And Exercise

Learning more about fitness and exercise is one of the best ways to increase your motivation to work out. You’ll find out some of the strategies you can use in your fitness journey to get better results.

So, here is a list of 10 shocking facts about fitness and exercise that will inspire you.

1. A good workout can improve the quality of your sleep

If you have trouble sleeping, you should start regular exercise as it can help you have better sleep. In addition to improving sleep quality, exercise reduces stress and anxiety levels, which is a common reason for the lack of good sleep.

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One study found that taking 150 minutes per week to do moderate exercise can help to improve your quality of sleep by 65%. What’s more, exercising minimizes the risk of developing sleep disorders such as insomnia and sleep apnea.

2. Regular exercise helps you to achieve your life goals

Working out has many surprising benefits. It will not only improve your health and physical physique but also make you successful in other areas of your life.

For instance, think about your career goals. Developing a habit around exercise can help you gain skills that impact on the success of your career. You’ll have self-discipline and mental-toughness that will keep you focused on your career goals.

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Working out consistently will help you to make positive changes in your life. I mean, you will make decisions and engage in practices that can help you meet your weight loss goals. This can be transferred to other areas of your life including your relationships and the kind of networking events that you’ll attend.

The high levels of mental and physical energy you get from exercising will increase your productivity in other activities. For instance, you’ll not get tired easily when performing tough tasks or having a tough day at the office.

3. Exercising your lower body can lead to occupational hazard

Exercise can be a source of occupational hazard. Yes, vigorous exercise targeting your lower body could result in an occupational hazard. This is particularly for people in occupations that require one to maintain considerable balance when working.

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So, it is advisable for such individuals to avoid these kinds of exercises on weekdays and do them during weekends.

4. Music and videos increase exercise motivation

Do you have a workout playlist? Studies suggest that music distracts your attention from the feelings of physical fatigue during exercise.

Also, listening to music and watching exercise motivation videos before your workout leads to a better mental state for the subsequent workout. Some athletes have reported that they listen to music to boost their motivation during training or when preparing for sporting events.

5. Lower body exercise influences upper-body exercise

You can significantly affect the muscular endurance of your upper-body through anaerobic exercises such as powerlifting and high-intensity interval training. The demand for oxygen for these exercises is higher than the available oxygen supply in your body.

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On the other hand, performing an aerobic exercise that is matched for the same level of workout will not lessen the endurance of your upper-body.

What does this mean? It is advisable to do warm-up exercises such as walking rather than heavy squats or deadlifts before exercising your upper-body.

6. Men lose weight at a faster pace than women

If you’re a woman, you might want to think again about teaming up with a male partner in your weight loss journey. Well, there are many reasons why men lose weight quicker and this may affect your motivation if you have a male exercising partner.

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First off, men body composition allows them to have more muscles than women. This means that they are able to burn calories at a faster rate. Men’s lean muscles increase their rate of metabolism.

The high level of estrogen hormone in women is another reason as it makes a woman to have and retain fat in their body. Men are also better when it comes to tolerance for exercise. Women cannot be at par with men in exercising due to their lung capacity, which is much lower than that of males.

7. Beetroot juice improves performance

Beetroot juice has an awful taste. But the plant is a nutritional powerhouse that can enhance your performance when working out.

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The juice helps to widen the blood vessels which improve blood flow throughout your body. This means that your heart will be under less stress, allowing you to exercise for longer periods.

8. Attitude towards going to the gym depends on a person’s genetics

Iowa State University conducted a study which found that a person’s ability to withstand the pain and exertion of exercise could be up to 50% genetically influenced. The lower a person’s ventilatory threshold, the higher the chances of having a negative attitude towards exercise.

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This means that one is more likely to have a shorter work out session if he or she has high ventilatory thresholds.

9. Level of activity throughout the day determines your fitness

Do you sit at your desk all day? Making a difference in your health requires more than a fitness class or a gym session. Several studies have shown that sitting down for long periods increases the threat of serious illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease.

Even if you exercise for an hour every day, engaging in active activities throughout the day is imperative to your health and fitness.

10. Gym goers indulge in chocolate

Surprisingly, a study found that people who go to the gym have 18% higher chances of indulging in chocolate.

So, make sure you do not sabotage all your fitness efforts by eating the right foods before and after your workout regimes. You can take a bar of chocolate to reward yourself for your losing weight efforts and after achieving your set fitness goals.