When you’re getting after it ( you do go to the gym?), you’re thinking entirely about your health, right? Yeah, I thought so, but if you’re anything like me, you think about moving, feeling, and looking better.
Health, well, it’s important, but it’s probably not the top of your list.
Does it give me bigger biceps? You’re in. Does this exercise decrease my cholesterol? Geez, who cares? Although getting after it will improve your health, the likelihood you are thinking about it while your lungs are burning is minimal. But you are thinking about how sexy it’s going to make you.
Let’s put that aside briefly with the five exercises you should do for better health.
These exercises have minimal effect on your sex appeal but are great for your health and well-being. If your health is your wealth, you will only become more valuable when performing these five exercises.
What Is Good Health?
Health is “a state of optimal physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease.” (1). Many think being healthy is only physical but discount the mental, or what’s going on in their head. Someone at first appearance may look the epitome of physical fitness but may carry the scars of their childhood or suffer from eating disorders.
Granted, it is an extreme example, but it only emphasizes that health is more than physical appearance. The following five exercises will improve your physical health and how your body operates; some will help you get out of your head.
5 Exercises For Better Health
You’ll likely know these exercises, but knowing and doing them differs. Hopefully, these will remind you that exercising for your health and vanity is good.
Walking
Walking is a contralateral act, which means it is an opposite arm, opposite leg movement. It’s the basis of our locomotion, and because of this, walking activates the left and right hemispheres of the brain, which helps you think clearly and reduces stress. Walking increases blood and lymph flow circulation as your muscles contract and relax. Walking and other cardio activities improve the circulation of immune cells, making them roam the body at a higher rate and in greater numbers.
Then, exercise recruits specialized immune cells—like natural killer cells and T cells—to find and kill antigens. This makes you less likely to catch the common cold.
But wait, there is more.
A meta-analysis study by the British Journal of Sports Medicine said walking briskly (2.5-3.5 MPH) was associated with a reduced risk of all cardiovascular diseases. (2)
Sounds like a win-win for your health.
Mini Band Lateral Walk
The mini-band lateral walk strengthens the smaller muscles of your backside, which are essential for single-leg balance and improved knee and hip health. These smaller glute muscles kick in when you take your foot off the ground and help prevent your knees from bending inwards, which, over time, can lead to knee problems. Plus, if these muscles are not as strong as they should be, it may affect your single-leg balance, and your face and the floor could meet.
And you don’t want that. I recommend performing this twice weekly for one to three sets of 15-25 reps per side for improved health.
Crocodile Breathing
Including a breathing exercise on this list may seem silly, but you might be surprised how many people take shallow breaths in their chest and shoulders and not down into the belly. When you breathe down into your belly, your body’s parasympathetic nervous system, your built-in recovery mode kicks in. Letting it take over after a workout or during periods of stress helps your body rest, digest, and repair. This system lowers your heart rate, conserves energy, and starts healing, ensuring you’ll recover and chill out. I recommend taking six deep breaths daily for less stress and better health.
Bar Hang
Holding onto the bar is the name of the game here, which is excellent preparation if you ever find yourself hanging from a cliff. The bar hang trains grip strength, crucial in all things gripping in and out of the gym.
If you didn’t know, poor grip strength is a vital indicator of being 6 feet under and the biggest reason to train it. (3)
But wait, there’s more.
It works wonders for overall shoulder health by engaging and stabilizing the entire shoulder joint. It also provides excellent upper body stretch, targeting the lats, chest, and shoulders. I recommend one set of 30-60 seconds daily.
Bodyweight Turkish Get-Up
Remember when I said that these five exercises would have a minimal effect on your sexiness? Well, I lied a little because the TGU trains your entire body, burns calories, and improves your cardiovascular system. However, it does enhance your health and sexiness, so I lied only a little.
But for a good reason.
The TGU trains full-body mobility, which is crucial because it improves one’s ability to get up and down from the ground. Big deal, you say, because don’t burpees do that? Burpees suck, and it is a big deal because if you lose the ability to get up from the ground, the Grim Reaper is closer to knocking on your door. (4)
Yep, it is that important. Doing just one rep on each side daily means you can flip the bird to the Grim Reaper for a while longer.
Wrapping Up
Enhancing your strength and sexiness is vital because all that hard work has to be worth it. Although strength training and cardio will improve your health, doing a little extra will only enhance your health and well-being. These five exercises will keep you above ground longer and enhance the quality of your life.
References
- Fred HL. In good health: an opinion at best. Tex Heart Inst J. 2013;40(1):13-4.
- Nieman DC, Wentz LM. The compelling link between physical activity and the body’s defense system. J Sport Health Sci. 2019 May;8(3):201-217.
- Leong DP, ET. AL Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology (PURE) Study investigators. Prognostic value of grip strength: findings from the Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology (PURE) study. Lancet. 2015 Jul 18;386(9990):266-73.
- Brito LB, ET AL. Ability to sit and rise from the floor as a predictor of all-cause mortality. Eur J Prev Cardiol. 2014 Jul;21(7):892-8.
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