{"id":13063,"date":"2022-04-27T12:12:21","date_gmt":"2022-04-27T04:12:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/?p=13063"},"modified":"2023-03-30T17:24:01","modified_gmt":"2023-03-30T09:24:01","slug":"what-happens-to-your-body-when-you-start-exercising","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/what-happens-to-your-body-when-you-start-exercising\/","title":{"rendered":"What happens to your body when you start exercising?"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

Have you ever thought to yourself, “what actually happens to your body when you start exercising?” I was asked this by a FIFO work colleague just a few weeks back – he wanted to know what we meant by getting\u00a0fitter.\u00a0<\/em>So in today’s post we’ll explore how exercise changes your body physique, muscles, heart and even your mind.<\/p>\r\n

I’m paraphrasing, but you might have heard before that if exercise was drug, it’d be the most valuable pharmaceutical ever developed. Basically, exercise does more for your brain and body than you could possibly imagine.<\/p>\r\n

So why is exercise so good for us?<\/h2>\r\n

If you look at the most successful people in all walks of life, they tend to share one core habit. Yip, you guessed it – they exercise. In his book, The Power of Habit, award winner Charles Duhigg talks about what he calls “keystone” habits. Essentially, these keystone habits can influence change in every aspect of our lives if we practise, develop and apply them. Exercise is a keystone habit. If you’ve ever come across someone with strong self discipline, they likely go to the gym regularly or complete some form of exercise.<\/p>\r\n

READ ALSO: https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/setting-the-exercise-habit-for-motivation\/<\/a><\/p>\r\n

For most, the physical benefits of exercise are obvious. For example, you look better, probably lose weight, become leaner and may gain some muscle. Generally speaking, you become fit.<\/p>\r\n

We can easily observe these changes with the naked eye. However, when you start exercising, more happens to your body than just what you see on the surface. For example, it’s common for people who exercise to report they feel happier, more motivated and less depressed.<\/p>\r\n

As a result, exercise is often labelled as a ‘miracle drug.’ In fact, experts recommend exercise as a treatment for memory loss, depression and insomnia. Furthermore, it’s also encouraged in therapy for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.<\/p>\r\n

How exercise affects our hormones, which essentially control our body<\/h2>\r\n

When we exercise, our body naturally produces hormones. Some of these include serotonin, endorphin and brain-derived neurotropic factor which plays an important role in growth and survival of brain tissue.<\/p>\r\n

In their own way, each of these hormones help:<\/p>\r\n