Exercise makes muscles stronger, boosts endurance, and increases the heart’s efficiency. However, some people don’t know exactly how exercise can affect the entire body system. From the endocrine to the muscular and skeletal systems, each level of the body is affected by exercise.
Here’s a breakdown of how each part of the body is affected, and what you can do to reap the benefits of consistent exercise for your entire body.
1) Musculoskeletal
The musculoskeletal system most obviously benefits from exercise. Exercise increases muscle strength, coordination, and balance. The movement of the joints produces synovial fluid, which is essential to prevent the joints from becoming stiff. Exercise also promotes strength in bones and can help prevent osteoporosis.
Make sure to stretch before exercising to facilitate mobility.
2) Cardiovascular
The cardiovascular system is composed of the heart, blood vessels, and blood. Cardio exercise promotes a healthy heart by forcing it to pump faster and increase its efficiency. This also allows it to deliver more oxygen to the blood.
Lastly, it normalizes blood pressure, which will lower the risk of diseases of the heart. Getting plenty of exercise is the best way to keep your cardiovascular system healthy and running at its highest efficiency.
3) Immune
The immune system is responsible for keeping out infection and disease. Exercise boosts the lymphatic system, which promotes the health of the immune system and keeps the body fighting infection. Exercise also can help flush out bacteria from the lungs and airways, which will prevent infection and illness. Drink and eat foods rich in Vitamin C to help your immune system and other body functions.
4) Nervous
The nervous system is made up of the brain and nerves that network through the body. Controlling functions like your heart rate and motor movement are the job of the nervous system, which is why the health of this system is paramount. Exercise can calm down the nervous system and improve circulation, as well as improve memory. A balanced diet that is rich in vitamins B6, B12, and folate can protect this and all systems.
5) Endocrine
The endocrine system, which works closely with the nervous system, is responsible for sending hormones to the body for growth. It also controls blood sugar, temperature, and metabolism. Exercise will regulate hormone balance and enhance organ function, as well as lift your mood. Exercise helps you stay at a healthy weight (in combination with a healthy diet) to prevent hormonal imbalances.
6) Digestive
The digestive system’s responsibility is to break down food into nutrients and eliminate waste. Exercise can help in this process of waste elimination, as well as increase metabolism. Also, exercise increases blood flow to the muscles and digestive tract, which reduces heartburn, cramps, and makes food move through the system faster.
Eating probiotics, vegetables, and fruits, as well as knowing these other 5 tips, will increase your gut health.
7) Respiratory
The respiratory system is responsible for taking in oxygen and expelling carbon dioxide. The body needs oxygen to survive, and exercise forces you to take more breaths per minute. This, in turn, delivers more oxygen to the body, and the blood has more opportunity to absorb oxygen. Avoiding smoking, exercising, and getting regular check-ups can help the respiratory system function at its highest capability.
Final Thoughts
Most people know exercise benefits the musculoskeletal and cardiovascular body systems, but the benefits to other systems are not as well known. Keep exercising so that your entire body can stay happy and healthy throughout yout entire life! Getting pumped up with free-weights or extensive cardio really helps the entire body as opposed to just decreasing calories.