6 surprising benefits of exercise

We all know exercise is good for us, but did you know that working up a sweat may also boost your brain power, spice up your sex life and help you live longer?

It sounds like a no-brainer, but more than half of us aren't doing enough of it. The CSIRO's Total Wellbeing Exercise Plan recommends between 150 and 300 minutes of moderate exercise a week (between 21 and 42 minutes a day).¹

If you need any further convincing to get physical, check out these surprising side-effects of regular exercise.

When we work out, our body releases natural feel-good chemicals, endorphins and serotonin. Otherwise known as the 'love hormone' and the 'happy hormone', these improve our mood, self-esteem and even our perception of pain.

Regular exercise can also have long-term benefits on our mental health. Not only does it help combat stress and improve sleep quality, studies show it can also help reduce depression and anxiety.² In fact, for some people, regular exercise can be as effective as anti-depressants.³

Exercise isn't just a great way to build physical strength, it also improves brain function.

Getting your heart rate up boosts blood flow to the brain, improving mental clarity and memory. Regular exercise can increase the size of the hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for memory, which shrinks as we get older.⁴ It also promotes healthy cell growth and nerve connections, which can protect the brain from injury and disease.

Stress can be a major mood killer. High levels of stress increase your cortisol levels, which in turn can affect your sex drive.

Exercise acts as a natural stressbuster, lowering cortisol levels and increasing the production of feel-good hormones. This can result in increased energy levels, self-esteem and confidence, all of which can be beneficial in the bedroom.

Studies show men who exercise regularly have more frequent intimate encounters and are less likely to experience erectile dysfunction,⁵ while women who exercise regularly are more interested in sex and experience greater arousal.⁶

The increased blood flow and oxygen your body gets when you exercise helps keep your skin cells in great shape too. Regular exercise increases the production of antioxidants, which can protect cells from free radicals (unstable atoms which damage skin cells).

In fact, one study found that those who exercise regularly not only have healthier skin, but younger looking skin too.⁷ Researchers believe exercise stimulates a substance that slows the aging process, however more research is needed to back this theory.

As well as increasing our fitness, exercise can help us live longer.

People who exercise regularly can add an extra 2 hours to their lives for every hour of exercise.⁸ Over a lifetime, that adds up to an extra 2 years.

Regular exercise also makes ageing easier by strengthening our bones and muscles, helping to prevent falls as we get older.

Prevention is better than cure, and exercise is one of the most powerful weapons we have against chronic disease.

Physical inactivity increases the risk of a range of diseases, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and some cancers.⁸ The good news is regular exercise can help you reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, manage your weight, strengthen your muscles and bones, and improve your mental and physical wellbeing.⁹

An active lifestyle can also help prevent or manage stroke, metabolic syndrome, high blood pressure, many cancers and arthritis.