Experts confirm that it is better, in fact, to be overweight and active than to be a healthy weight but to take no exercise. Of course, it is best to be a healthy weight and to be active at the same time! Physical fitness is important for wellbeing, but can also help you to shed weight. Whilst dieting can have good short-term results, it is only when you combine it with exercise that you are likely to shed a decent amount of weight, and to keep it off, long-term. Exercising also boosts your metabolism, so that as well as burning calories whilst doing the exercise, your body also speeds up and burns future calories far more easily. In addition to this, exercise can build muscle, which helps you to burn calories even when you are rest.
Another beneficial effect of exercise is in the release of endorphins. When you exercise, these so-called ‘happy hormones’ are released in your brain and help to improve anxiety and stress. Studies have even shown that regular exercise can be as effective as some antidepressants.
Being physically fit can make your immune system healthier and help you to fend off diseases such as coughs and colds. In addition to this, more exercise reduces your chances of contracting a number of more serious ailments such as breast cancer, osteoporosis, heart disease and diabetes.
Being fit can also help you to improve your sex life, as research has shown that those who are physically fit tend to have more sex.