Benefits of Exercise - Research Paper Example

In this essay, the various types of exercise and their effects on health will be discussed. Types of exercise There are different types of exercise and these can be categorized into 3 groups based on their intensity. They are the light exercise, moderate exercise and vigorous exercise. During light exercise, it is possible for the exerciser to talk. Walking is an example of light exercise. In moderate exercise, there is mild feeling of out of breath for the exerciser. Examples of moderate exercise include brisk walking, walking uphill and moderate cycling.

During vigorous exercise, the exerciser experiences panting. Examples of this type of exercise include fast cycling, running and heavy weight training (Christian, Medical NewsToday). There are 2 types of exercise and they are aerobic and anaerobic exercises. In aerobic exercise, the aim of the exercise is to increase the oxygen consumption of the body. The exercises are usually of moderate intensity and involve large muscle groups. It involves warming up and exercise for 20 minutes, followed by cooling down.

A simple example for aerobic exercise is running for 20 minutes and playing badminton for 30 minutes. On the other hand, in anaerobic exercise, the muscles are exercised at high intensities for short durations, which are less than 2 minutes. Oxygen is not used during these exercises and hence they use fewer calories than aerobic exercises (Christian, Medical NewsToday). Benefits of exercise on general health Benefits of aerobic exercise include, strengthening of respiratory muscles, thus facilitating improved inflow and outflow of air from the lungs, strengthening and enlargement of the heart muscle, thus causing lowering of heart rate during resting, toning of muscles, reduction in blood pressure, improvement in blood circulation, increase in the number of red blood cells, improvement in the quality of sleep and improvement in mental health.

Other benefits include decrease in diseases like migraine, decrease in the risk of heart disease and other cardiovascular diseases, improvement in survival rates in those with already established heart disease, stimulation of bone growth, thereby reducing the risk of osteoporosis, increase in stamina and endurance, increased ability to store fat and glycogen within muscles, increased blood flow through muscles, increased ability of the muscles to use fats during exercise, thus enhancing preservation of intramuscular glycogen.

Benefits of anaerobic exercises include increase in the strength and power of muscles. They also help in strengthening of bones, protection of joints and control of body weight. Examples of anaerobic exercises are sprinting, weight lifting, interval training, intensive and fast skipping, isometrics and rapid burst of hard exercise (Christian, Medical NewsToday). There are some exercises which include a combination of muscle strengthening, stretching and balancing. A good example of such combination exercise is Yoga.

Most experts agree that stretching itself is a good form of exercise. Yoga improves balance, movements, posture and flexibility (Christian, Medical NewsToday). The best health effect of exercise is prevention and treatment of obesity. Obesity is prevalent all over the world, particularly in the developed nations. Approximately 7% of the estimated current world population is obese (Uwaifo, Emedicine). Obesity affects all races. It is prevalent equally in both the