Exercise, according to Merriam Webster dictionary is a 'physical activity that is done in order to become stronger and healthier'. How much and what exercise a person needs to stay healthy and strong depends on their current level of fitness and their physical condition. But one thing is sure, exercising our bodies is key to being healthy, mobile and strong.
When we don't exercise regularly all of our body functions become less efficient and we tend to become less healthy and less fit. We become more prone to diseases and pain in our bodies.
In this blogpost, I'll give an overview of the areas that are affected negatively in our bodies when we don't exercise regularly. I categorised these areas into Physiological, Musculoskeletal, Psychological and Hormonal.
Physiological Effects
Physiological body functions are the basic functions of our organs that keep our body running and keep it functioning normally. This includes
- Circulatory system - the system in which the blood transports and circulates nutrients (like oxygen, carbon-dioxide, nutrients absorbed from food, hormones and blood cells) through the body to and from every cell of the body.
- Digestive system - the system that takes in the nutrition from the food we eat and turns it into material to create new cells and energy for the body.
- Nervous system - the system that sends information through the body.
- Reproductive system - the system in our bodies that help with the production of sperms, eggs, and supports pregnancy.
Effects of not exercising
- Metabolism reduces - the way our body digests and uses the material necessary for our body to function slows down. This also means that, most of what we consume will more likely turn into fat and waste material.
- Increases our blood pressure - Lack of exercise makes the blood vessels less flexible and smooth, which makes it harder for the blood to flow through. This results in increased blood pressure in the arteries and damages our arteries. This also decreases the blood flow in our body and less oxygen is transported to our heart, which can lead to heart disease.
- Higher LDL cholesterol ("bad" cholesterol) levels, which leads to more build up of fat in our blood vessels. This increases our risk of Arteriosclerosis, thrombosis, heart disease and stroke.
- Lungs get weaker - like any muscle, if we don't exercise our lungs, they get weaker. We get less oxygen into our body and our breathing volume reduces. This makes it harder for the oxygen to reach all parts of body to perform vital functions and movements.
- Increased risk for Type 2 Diabetes - without exercise, hormones incl. insulin are less regulated and our risk for Diabetes increases.
- Immune system gets weaker. White blood cells get boosted with exercise - with no exercise, we have less white blood cells to fight off disease and infections.
- Constipation - Exercise promotes balance of gut bacteria and brings more blood to the digestive tract which promotes digestion. Not exercising does the opposite.
- Weight-gain - Our muscle mass directly affects the amount of fat we can burn in our bodies. We loose muscle mass when we don't exercise. With less muscle mass, we have less ability to burn fat, which leads to us gaining weight more easily.
- Higher risk of cancer - Hormones like estrogen and growth hormones, when present in excess, increase the risk of breast and colon cancers. Exercise helps reduce these hormone levels. Furthermore exercise reduces inflammation, increases the metabolism and prevents obesity - a major risk factor for several cancers. (Source: National Cancer Institute)
Musculoskeletal Effects
The musculoskeletal system is the system that contains our muscles, bones, ligaments, and tendons. This system helps us maintain our posture and helps us to move our bodies and perform all actions.
Effects of not exercising
- Loss of muscle mass - our muscles get weaker when we don't exercise. As part of our natural ageing process, after the age of 30, if we don't exercise we start loosing our muscle mass. After 30, we begin to lose 3% to 5% of muscle mass per decade. Not exercising makes us weaker and reduces our ability to perform our daily activities.
- Bone-density also naturally declines with age. If we don't exercise, our bone density will continue going down, which increases the risk of osteoporosis and bones becoming brittle.
- Ligaments and tendons shorten when they are not actively being used, which increases the risk of strains, sprains and tears.
- Joint-fluid and cartilage reduces naturally with age. Cartilage is the main connecting tissue that is present in our joints and bones. With less lubrication in our joints, our bones might touch and rub each other when we move, which can cause joint pain and damages our joints and bones.
Psychological Effects
The psychology of the human being includes our mind and behaviour. It is the area that defines how we think, act, and feel. This entails our ability to concentrate, our willpower, our motivation, our emotions and feelings, and other psychological actions we perform on a daily basis.
Effects of not exercising
- Increased risk of depression and anxiety. When we exercise, our body releases endorphins (happy hormones), which block our pain receptors and creates a feeling of joy. When we don't exercise regularly, we produce less of these hormones and we are more likely to feel anxious and depressed.
- Focus and attention - Physical activity boosts the brain's dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin levels—all of which affect focus and attention. Not doing exercise reduces our ability to focus and have attention.
- Change in behaviour - Adults who get more physical activity are more likely to show positive personality traits, such as openness and conscientiousness (wanting to do things well). The more active people are, the more these traits develop. (Source: Human Performance Resources). If we don't exercise we might miss out on the positive affects exercise has on our behaviour.
Hormonal Effects
Hormones are our body's chemical messengers that carry messages in our bloodstream to our tissues and organs to coordinate their functions. They affect all processes in our body, including our physical/tissue growth & development, our metabolism (that is, how our body gets energy from the food we eat), sexual functions, moods, and reproduction.
Effects of not exercising
- Hormones that reduce fat are not activated - Hormones like Irisin, Testosterone, and human growth hormone normally get released during exercise which help to reduce fat storages and increase muscle mass & bone mass. Without exercise it becomes more challenging to reduce our fat storages.
- Release of endorphins - During exercise, endorphins are released, which leads to a happy state of mind. Without exercise one has to look for other ways to release this natural stimulant.
- Excess estrogen - exercise is an important player in balancing excess estrogen in our body. High levels of estrogen increases the risk for breast cancer. Lack of exercise increases all health risks associated with excess estrogen.
Stay healthy and enjoy finding joy in health!