Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. To give you a better idea, it’s responsible for 655,000 deaths each year.

The good news is that there are ways to prevent it. For example, it helps to eat a healthy diet. More specifically, you want to eat vegetables, fruits, and whole grains.

Not only that, but exercise can help as well. If anything, it’s one of the best things that you can do for your body.

Want to learn more about its benefits for physical and mental health? Then be sure to read the rest of the post!

How Often Should You Exercise?

Generally speaking, you want to get at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity every week. If you can, try to spread it out so that it’s not all on one day.

Also, it’s important to perform muscle-strengthening exercises as well.

5 Things that Exercise Can Do For Your Physical and Mental health

Exercise is beneficial in several ways. Here's what you need to know.

1. It Can Help Lower Stress

When you exercise, your body releases endorphins aka “feel-good hormones.” In other words, you'll feel happier. Not only that, but it'll lower the amount of stress hormones (e.g. cortisol) in the body.

In fact, it can even play a role in addiction recovery.

2. It'll Strengthen Your Heart

Your heart, like the other muscles in your body, will get stronger as you exercise. For one thing, it’ll be able to pump blood more efficiently—that means that it won’t have to beat as hard, which will help with your blood pressure.

In doing so, you’ll be at a lower risk of heart disease.

3. It Can Help You Control Your Weight

Exercise plays an important role when it comes to controlling your weight. In fact, it’s one of the best ways to prevent obesity along with diet.

Put it simply, you’ll lose weight if you burn more calories than you eat and drink.

4. It'll Strengthen Your Muscles and Bones

Physical activity is essential for maintaining bone strength. The more you exercise, the stronger will be.

In addition to that, it’ll also strengthen your muscles. Not only will that protect your joints, but it’ll also give you better balance and coordination.

5. It Can Help With Anxiety and Depression

Exercise can help those with anxiety or depression. Ultimately, this has to do with the fact that it releases endorphins, chemicals that can enhance your well-being.

In fact, one study has shown that walking for an hour every day can reduce the risk of major depression by 26%.

The Importance of Physical Activity

The bottom line is, exercise can benefit your physical and mental health in more than one way. Given that, why wouldn't you want to incorporate it into your schedule?

For more health-related posts like this, check out the rest of our blog!