{"618449":{"#nid":"618449","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Four Benefits of Regular Exercise","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWe all know that exercise is good for us, but how many of us know the actual mental and physical benefits? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), adults who perform 150-300 minutes (2.5 -5 hours) of moderate-intensity physical activity each week reap numerous physical, mental, and personal rewards. Don\u0026rsquo;t believe us, check out this list of reasons why you should exercise regularly from the CDC.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EExercise can reduce your risk of disease: \u003C\/strong\u003EAccording to the CDC, \u0026ldquo;Adults who are physically active are less likely to develop many chronic diseases.\u0026rdquo; This is true for a number of reasons, beginning with the fact that exercise works to strengthen your immune system, making you less likely to contract illness and more able to fight it off if you do. Regular exercise is good for the heart and assists circulation, which decreases your risk of heart diseases such as high cholesterol and coronary artery disease. Exercise can also lower blood sugar and regulate insulin production, which lessens your risk of getting type 2 diabetes. Finally, psychical activity has been found to lower risks of certain \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cancer.gov\/about-cancer\/causes-prevention\/risk\/obesity\/physical-activity-fact-sheet\u0022\u003Ecancers\u003C\/a\u003E, such as colon, breast, uterine, and lung.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EExercise can be a great tool for your mental health and well-being:\u003C\/strong\u003E Regular physical activity can aid immensely in dealing with anxiety and depression. The proteins and chemicals released by the body during exercise can improve the structure and function of the brain, which helps your learning and judgment\u0026nbsp;stay sharp. These chemicals also encourage the brain to relax and improve your mood.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EExercise helps to strengthen your bones and muscles: \u003C\/strong\u003ERegular physical activity builds up strong bones in kids and young adults and can slow the progression of bone loss later in life. Routine exercise, can build muscle mass and increase physical strength. These effects help make you a stronger and healthier person.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EExercise can improve your \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/thesleepdoctor.com\/2017\/05\/22\/benefits-exercise-sleep\/\u0022\u003Esleep\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E: Exercise can help you fall asleep faster, as well as increase the amount of time you spend in deep sleep- the restorative sleep phase that boosts your immune system and cardiac health. The stress-reducing properties of exercise can also improve symptoms of common sleep disorders. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.sleepfoundation.org\/articles\/how-does-exercise-help-those-chronic-insomnia\u0022\u003EResearch\u003C\/a\u003E has shown that exercise can be an effective long-term therapy for insomnia, as well as lower the severity of disordered breathing caused by sleep apnea.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIt\u0026rsquo;s easier to incorporate exercise and enjoy these benefits then you think! To start, you can work to make your routine activities more active by walking to class instead of taking the bus, using the stairs instead of the elevator, and parking further away from your destinations. You can also check out this \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/crc.gatech.edu\/news\/put-pep-your-step-5-ways-get-10000-steps-campus\u0022\u003Earticle\u003C\/a\u003E to learn easy ways to increase your steps every day.\u0026nbsp; Find things you can do even on days you\u0026rsquo;re tempted to take off, such as indoor workouts for rainy days, or lower-difficulty workouts for times when your energy is low.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Campus Recreation Center (CRC) offers a number of resources to aid in your fitness journey. If you\u0026rsquo;re a solo exerciser, you can check out the CRC\u0026rsquo;s fitness machines, indoor and outdoor tracks, or \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/crc.gatech.edu\/aquatics\u0022\u003Epools.\u003C\/a\u003E If you prefer more social activities check out the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/crc.gatech.edu\/sports\u0022\u003Eintramural and club sports\u003C\/a\u003E program. For adventure seekers, check out one of the many \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/crc.gatech.edu\/outdoor\u0022\u003Eoutdoor recreation\u003C\/a\u003E programs. If you\u0026rsquo;re not sure where to begin, consider getting a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/crc.gatech.edu\/fitness\/training\u0022\u003Epersonal trainer\u003C\/a\u003E or joining a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/crc.gatech.edu\/fitness\/group\u0022\u003Egroup fitness\u003C\/a\u003E course. Most importantly remember your fitness journey is a marathon not a sprint and don\u0026rsquo;t give up. You\u0026rsquo;ve got this! For more information about the CRC, visit \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/crc.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ecrc.gatech.edu.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ELearn more about how regular exercise can benefit your health and well-being.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Learn more about how regular exercise can benefit your health and well-being."}],"uid":"27649","created_gmt":"2019-02-25 21:25:58","changed_gmt":"2019-02-25 21:25:58","author":"Christine Kapurch","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2019-02-25T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2019-02-25T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"616963":{"id":"616963","type":"image","title":"CRC Building","body":null,"created":"1548692745","gmt_created":"2019-01-28 16:25:45","changed":"1548692745","gmt_changed":"2019-01-28 16:25:45","alt":"","file":{"fid":"234809","name":"CRCFacilityMay18_.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/CRCFacilityMay18__0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/CRCFacilityMay18__0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2366957,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/CRCFacilityMay18__0.jpg?itok=iFX-b2FN"}}},"media_ids":["616963"],"groups":[{"id":"53745","name":"Campus Recreation Center (CRC)"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[{"id":"719","name":"CRC"},{"id":"4073","name":"fitness"},{"id":"398","name":"health"},{"id":"123761","name":"well-being"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EDelfina Booth\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMarketing Intern\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}