fitnesstips Archives - Be Well Solutions

Unlocking the Benefits of Short Workouts

Finding the time to fit regular exercise into your schedule can feel daunting, but it doesn’t have to. Even small bouts of activity can be beneficial. Don’t worry about clearing your agenda for an exercise session. Instead, let’s dig into the benefits of short workouts. What is Recommended? Before diving into the benefits of short exercise, let’s review the most recent recommendations set by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). In 2018, the HHS updated the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans1. The recommendations for adults for the most health benefits include at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise accumulated weekly, plus strength training for all major muscle groups at least two days per week. In addition, the guidelines include minimizing overall sedentary time. One of the updates to this current edition is that bouts [...]

Exercise and Your Immune System

Regular exercise has many physical and mental benefits, including keeping us healthy. Recent studies have examined the correlation between physical activity and our immune system. While many theories still need additional research, there has been encouraging movement in understanding the relationship between the two. How Exercise Benefits Our Immune System Exercise improves circulation throughout the body. This improvement allows significant immune cells, like white blood cells, to move about more freely. When immune cells can travel to more areas, they can quickly identify and act upon invaders. Research has also found that this increased circulation of immune cells can last up to three hours after an exercise session, which makes consistent exercise key (Gunderson Health System1). Exercise also promotes adequate, restful sleep, which is a necessary component to keeping the immune system strong. Finally, it helps manage and prevent other [...]