1)strengthening the cardiovascular system,
2) reducing obesity,
3) boosting the immune system,
4) fortifying bones.
Fewer people know that is also helps in:
5) decreasing stress & elevating mood (exercise balances the neurotransmitters — serotonin, norepineprhine, and dopamine which regulate mood),
6) boosting motivation,
7) fostering neuroplasticity (builds the cellular infrastructure and spurs neurogenesis via a growth factor called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), allowing us to make new connections and learn new material).
More details in John Ratey's book The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain and accompanying research.
To sum up, officially - regular exercise is the closest cure we have against all evils.
SOME MORE FACTS ARE :
1. 5 lbs of muscle vs. 5 lbs of fat:
2. Strength is arguably more important than aerobic fitness.
"In nursing homes, most patients are not limited by their aerobic fitness, they are limited by their ability to produce force." -- Tweet by Jeremy Lenneke, PhD in exercise physiology
Don't shy away from lifting weights because you think you'll get "bulky." Especially you, ladies :). It may be intimidating at first, but you'll be doing your future and current self a favor.
3. There is no such thing as "muscle confusion."
You and I get confused, a muscle does not. A muscle is not a brain. It knows tension and how long (or short) tension is applied, among other things like stretch.
It's more effective to progress on the basic human movements: push, pull, squat and hinge for both strength and aesthetic purposes. If you're doing different exercises each weak, it's challenging to gauge progress and effectiveness.
A well-thought-out program beats the latest fad workout from some website/magazine. Factors such as volume, intensity, and rest periods matter much more than switching between triceps extensions and reverse triceps extensions because you want to "hit X part of the muscle."
Yes, you can do variations of an exercise to get a slightly different stimulation. But beginners and intermediates (and even the advanced) should focus on the basics.
Here's a simple example on how to progress at a push exercise. Let's use the flat dumbbell bench press, picking a heavy enough weight where you stop about two reps short of failure for each set. You'll get tired pretty quickly with the short rest periods, and will have to lower the weight to get 10 reps per set if you're doing it right:
Week 1: 4 sets x 10 reps, 90 second breaks i.e. 60 lbs > 50 lbs > 35 lbs > 30 lbs
Week 2: 4 sets x 10 reps, 90 second breaks i.e. 65 lbs > 55 lbs > 35 lbs > 30 lbs
Week 3: 5 sets x 10 reps, 90 second breaks i.e. 70 lbs > 60 lbs > 40-45 lbs > 35-40 lbs
Week 4: 5 sets x 10 reps, 90 second breaks i.e. 75 lbs > 60-65lbs > 40-50 lbs > 35-40 lbs
(New training cycle)
Week 1: 5 sets x 10 reps, 60 second breaks i.e. try 80 lbs & take it from there
Week 2: 5 sets x 10 reps, 60 second breaks
etc. Each week, you want to aim 2.5-5 lbs. heavier than the weights you lifted last week.
Looks kind of boring, but it's an honest, structured way to know you're making progress. Keep in mind this is a simple example. For coaches, trainers, and experienced lifters, the fun part is putting together a program.
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