By Mr. Y. Upadhyay, Department of Sports
Have you ever wondered what happens to your body when you start exercising and the changes to your body physique, muscles, the mind and heart? I am trying to explain why exercise is so good for us. It is one of the core habits practised by the most successful people. Have you ever wondered why exercises are known as keystone habits? Habit, that is practiced, developed and applied influences and brings about changes in every aspect of our lives. Exercising is a keystone habit, which is why anyone looking to develop self-discipline regularly goes to the gym or does some form of exercise to keep oneself fit and fine.
So we all know about the physical benefits of exercise. It is to look better, lose weight, become lean, gain muscle and generally to become fit. These changes are easily noticeable by the naked eye! However, the benefits of exercising on most people who exercise are observed that they are happier, more motivated and less depressed! This is why exercise has been described as the ‘miracle drug’ and has been recommended as treatment for depression, insomnia, memory loss, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, among others! The reason for this is that our body naturally produces hormones while exercising. These hormones are Serotonin, Endorphins and Protein, better known as Brain-Derived Neurotropic Factor (BDNF). Each of these hormones in its own way, reduces stress level, enhances someone’s mood, aids in better sleep, improves learning and also leads to increase in confidence.
When you start exercising, especially for the first time or after a long break, you feel more alert and energised because ramping up your heart rate, means a boost in overall flow and release of oxygen to the brain! This releases a special ‘brain cell’ called ‘Dopamine’ which is responsible for motivation! If you ever feel tired, lazy and don’t feel like doing anything, it is because you are experiencing a Dopamine deficit! Dopamine is responsible for motivation, attention and is also responsible for the feeling of satisfaction! If you are experiencing a Dopamine deficit, you can find it hard to get things done, because you are not getting enough ‘fulfillments’ to justify doing them. But whenever you exercise, you directly increase the amount of dopamine in your blood and instead of feeling tired, you feel motivated and energized to do your work with zeal and enthusiasm.
Effects of physical exercise may not be observed in a few weeks of working out. When we continue the exercise for longer period of time, biological changes take place, whether you see them or not.
A few weeks after starting a cardio routine, you will notice that you have increased energy level, due to a rise in Metabolism and Mitochondria. The biggest misconception about exercise is that exercise causes weight loss! Exercise doesn’t cause weight loss. It causes muscle gain and since muscles have Mitochondria and mitochondria burn energy. Mitochondria are the part of cells that convert carbs, fats and proteins into fuels that our muscles use to do their job, like flex and contract. Mitochondrion is also known as the ‘Power House’ of a cell.
Exercise programme often sees a 50% dropout rate, within the first 6 months. But after that, more people stick with it. After 6-8 weeks, researches have shown that people can increase their Mitochondria by up to 50% and they will feel the change in their level of fitness! After a month or so, muscles start growing and become stronger and these changes are visible. You feel the strength in your muscles, when you work out. Metabolism is even higher as it starts burning the fat cells to fulfill the demand of higher calories. According to the US National Science of Medicine, if you can keep exercising after a period of 6 months, mainly concentrating on cardio, you can expect 20% increase in your overall VO2 Max! VO2 Max is often used as a fitness indicator and refers to the rate; a body can transport oxygen to muscles, for fuel. So a higher VO2 Max means, one should be able to run faster and longer, in a shorter time span. That means one can run about 20% further in the same amount of time! You must be reminded about Usain Bolt, the world record holder in sprinting!
Regular exercise increases the size of heart and eventually when exercising, heart rate increases and pumps more blood in the process. After about 6 months of regular working out, the physical effects of exercise are easily visible. Some of the physical effects which might not be visible include the increasing blood supply to our brain. Increased supply of blood, leads to ‘better focus’ when doing any activities. Furthermore, exercising promotes the development of new brain cells, which improves learning and memory! If we are exercising regularly, more capillaries grow in the muscles that we have been working. This is one reason why activity starts to feel easier over the time and we feel more comfortable.
Exercises help to release Endorphin hormone, to counter any ‘stress’ you might be feeling! Endorphins are famously known as “feel good hormones”! Release of Endorphin and Dopamine hormone keeps us supercharged and energize us to take on the day well. Another positive effect of exercising on the brain is that one gets ‘better sleep’ and reduces ‘insomnia’! Our body is operated on a biological Clock, called ‘circadian rhythm’ and since insomnia is caused by skewed circadian rhythm, exercise can help to fix our biological Clock, resulting in better sleep. It can also save money by cutting down on trips to the hospital every now and then and also on money spent in buying a prescription of drugs. After one year of regular exercise, bones will be denser, which reduces the risk of Osteoporosis. One will also be at lower risk of developing Arthritis, Type 2 Diabetes, Dementia and certain type of cancers! So exercising is clearly good for our physical and mental health and by exercising for just three hours in a week adds more days to your life. So are you convinced about ‘What’ happens, when you do exercise! ‘Learn and be wise’. Similarly do your exercise regularly and remain fit.