Exercise is defined as any movement making your muscles work and requiring your body to burn calories.

There are so many types of physical activity, such as running, jogging, walking, swimming, and dancing.

Being active has a lot of health benefits, both physically and mentally. It can even help you live longer.

Here are the top benefits of regular exercise to your body and brain.

1. It Can Make You Feel Happier

It has been shown that exercise can improve your mood as well as decrease feelings of stress, depression, and anxiety.

It produces changes in the brain’s parts that regulate stress and anxiety. It can also increase the brain sensitivity for the hormones norepinephrine and serotonin, which relieve feelings of depression.

Moreover, exercise can increase the production of endorphins, which help reduce the perception of pain and produce positive feelings.

Additionally, exercise can reduce symptoms in those who are suffering from anxiety. It can also help them practice distraction from their fears and be more aware of their mental state.

Interestingly, it doesn’t matter how intense your workout is because it seems that your mood can benefit from practicing exercise no matter the intensity of the physical activity.

2. It Can Help With Weight Loss

There are some studies that have shown inactivity is the main factor in weight gain and obesity.

In order to understand the effect of exercise on weight reduction, it is necessary to understand the connection between exercise and energy expenditure.

Your body spends energy in 3 ways: exercising, digesting food and maintaining body functions such as your heartbeat and breathing.

While dieting, a reduced calorie intake helps to lower your metabolic rate, which will also delay weight loss. On the contrary, regular exercise can increase your metabolic rate, which will burn more calories to help you lose weight.

In addition, studies showed that combining aerobic exercise with resistance training can maximize fat loss as well as muscle mass maintenance, which is important for keeping the weight off.