benefits of exercise to the body, couple exercising in a gym

It’s a brand new year, and for about half of us, our New Year's resolution is likely to revolve around improving our health and exercising more often. In 2024, 56% of Brits resolved to exercise more, and 45% wanted to shed weight. If you failed to stick to your resolution last year, there’s another chance to succeed in 2025. 

While challenging to begin with, it won’t take long for you to notice the benefits of exercise on the body, mind and overall health. If you struggle to exercise alone, join a club or sign up to group classes for added accountability. Working out under expert guidance will build your strength and stamina, whilst helping you become more confident in the form and variations of exercises. 

At The Somatic Clinic, our personal trainers, yoga coaches and nutritionists will provide tailored advice to suit your goals. With so many benefits of regular exercise on health, we want to help your New Year’s resolutions stick beyond January!

1. Better Management of Chronic Illnesses

If you’ve recently consulted a doctor or searched the internet about managing a chronic condition, regular exercise may have been mentioned as a recommendation. One of the biggest benefits of exercise every day is reducing or better managing chronic illnesses, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiac diseases, arthritis, hypertension and high cholesterol.

Regular physical activity raises the heart rate and blood flow to the extremities, helping flush out toxins, reduce inflammation and increase hormones such as endorphins. Exercising also improves muscle strength and flexibility, helping you stay mobile.

2. Improved Energy Levels

Many of us often give up on workout sessions because we feel tired after work or can’t get up early to attend classes. However, group exercise classes can actually leave you feeling energised, so don’t let this put you off.

Exercising can help reduce fatigue. As your lungs expand to draw in oxygen, your heart rate increases to supply oxygenated blood. This can displace the lactic acid build-up in your muscles, which makes you feel tired.

Working out will improve the level of endorphins in your body while reducing cortisol levels. This, in turn, improves your mental health while allowing you to sleep well. A good night’s sleep always helps you feel more energetic the next day.

3. Better Mental Health

There are many mental health benefits of regular exercise. For instance, it helps to manage stress, tension and anxiety. During training sessions, your body releases endorphins and serotonin, making you feel happy and relaxed. Furthermore, studies have shown that regular workouts can help slow down the ageing of the brain and reduce the chance of conditions such as Alzheimer's or dementia. 

Better blood supply to the brain and reduction of stress can improve memory and cognitive functioning, thus improving work performance. Another benefit of group exercise classes is the opportunity to socialise, which can distract from negative thoughts, work stress or other personal challenges. 

4. Improved Sleep

Thirty minutes of regular exercise, such as yoga, stretching or cardio, has shown to help you sleep better. Among the many benefits of regular exercise on health, you’ll notice your circadian rhythm (sleep-wake cycle) gets restored. During exercise, melatonin and serotonin are released, which helps you decompress, regulates your body temperature and helps you sleep better at night.

5. Pain Reduction

Low-impact exercises, such as swimming or pilates are recommended for recovery from injuries or surgeries. You, too, can experience the pain-reducing benefits of exercise to the body. However, it’s advisable to consult an expert personal trainer or yoga therapist, so they can best guide you through suitable exercises and avoid further damage to your body.

The improved blood flow helps reduce inflammation and enhances flexibility, muscle strength and pain tolerance. This allows for better mobility and management of lower back pain, sciatica and even arthritis pain. 

6. Improved Bone Health 

When you exercise regularly, you also lose weight or excess body fat while toning and strengthening your muscles. The benefits of regular exercise on health include reduced joint stiffness and bone loss and better posture. Your coordination and balance will also improve, reducing the risk of falls and accidents. 

7. Better Sex Life

Do you struggle with intimacy because you’re stressed, tired, suffer from chronic pain or have body image issues due to being overweight? Regular exercise allows you to manage all these issues effectively and enjoy being intimate with your partner.

Exercising also helps improve blood flow to your genitals, reducing issues of erectile dysfunction in men or low arousal in women. For post-menopausal women or those who have given birth, exercising can help to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles, making sex more pleasurable and pain-free.

Choose The Somatic Clinic for Personal Training Classes

Whether you’re a sportsperson or want to kickstart a healthy routine, you can equally enjoy the benefits of regular exercise on health. Training under professional guidance is important as exercise routines will be tailor-made for your body and any pre-existing health conditions. Along with exercise, you need to focus on your diet and nutrition

If you’re interested in personal training and nutritional advice, contact The Somatic Clinic. Our highly qualified personal trainers, yoga practitioners, and nutritionists offer personalised programmes and advice. 

We also offer a variety of other services, including osteopathy, sports massage and physiotherapyContact us today to enjoy the benefits of exercise to the body and mind.

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