Why Daily Exercise Is the Best Kind of Exercise

Improve Your Memory

Exercise changes our brain in ways that preserve memory and boost our thinking skills. The hippocampus is the part of our brain that controls verbal memory and learning. With regular, aerobic exercise that gets your heart pumping, you can improve memory and even inspire motivation. According to an Alzheimer’s Association report, 5.5 million Americans lived with dementia last year. There is evidence that daily exercise can help prevent memory loss and improve cognitive function in dementia patients. Next time you hit that afternoon wall at work or in class, take a 10-minute walk and reap the benefits.

Get Enough Sleep

Does the idea of actually getting eight hours of sleep per night feel impossible? Then get moving! In a study reported by The Sleep Foundation, after just four weeks of daily, moderately intense aerobic exercise, like walking with a step counter app, adults who suffered from insomnia fell asleep faster, slept longer, and slept better than before they began exercising. It’s also possible to bypass the potential for disruptive sleep problems like restless leg syndrome and sleep apnea with regular physical activity.

Break Through Fatigue

Feeling exhausted? Studies show that taking a nice, brisk walk is better than a nap if you’re feeling fatigued. Take your step counter along and try to get at least 2,000 steps, the average number of steps in a mile. Using a pedometer or step counter app is an easy way to track your steps each day. Regular, daily exercise can even help increase energy levels, even among people suffering from chronic diseases associated with lethargy, like cancer and heart disease.

Recover from Illness

Even brisk exercise can be quite helpful for people with chronic medical conditions such as diabetes or heart disease. But what if you’ve already had a stroke or heart attack? Stanford professor John Ioannidis, MD, DSc, analyzed data from more than 300 clinical trials and found that people who were recovering from a stroke had better results with exercise than with drugs. This is exciting new science because, for years, people with certain illnesses were advised not to exercise at all.

Now, medical professionals agree that far more people can and should participate in daily exercise. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that only about one-third of physicians prescribe the “exercise pill” for their patients.

If you want to have more energy, add years to your life, and feel better, then find an exercise you enjoy and stick with it. The health benefits of daily physical activity are impossible to ignore, the best app to lose weight is therefore one that allows you to track activities such as cleaning the house. Take advantage of the best kind of exercise: the kind you do every day.