Effects of Exercise

Spencer Borba
The Effects of Exercise on the Body Most people know that exercise is beneficial to the body, as you can see if you are on a gym around the New Year. Just knowing the health benefits won’t change your body, putting in the work will. Many people lack the motivation to take action to change their health, but once they know all of the benefits, I think their motivation will feel a boost. When you first start working out your body will be under more stress than usual, your breathing will become heavier and your heart rate, faster. This is because the muscles are trying to get more oxygen. Once your workouts become more frequent, the muscles will adapt, thus lowering your heart rate and easing your breathing. While overtime, exercise will make you feel better and stronger, but the beginning will feel pretty bad. Experiencing soreness at the start of working out is usual, your body aches in places you didn’t know had muscles and you feel weak. This is because exercise causes microscopic damage to your muscles. This time of discomfort is called delayed onset muscle soreness and will last for about 24-48 hours (lifehacker.com). Once the soreness goes away, you will notice the change in everyday activities because your heart enlarges and your veins possess more elasticity, thus allowing more blood flow and lower blood pressure. Lowering your blood pressure also lowers your chance for a number of different diseases. Another positive outcome from exercise is weight loss. Burning calories for energy first, your body will move to burning fat. If you burn more calories than you take in, you will access your body’s fat storage. But, if you don’t burn calories for energy, they will be on reserve for energy. As if exercise wasn’t already beneficial, it also improves brain function. All the added oxygen into your muscles and blood stream also goes to your brain, helping to improve even the most basic tasks. Not all effects of working out are considered positive. While exercising too much, an injury can occur, which can also set you back in your fitness goals. For women, when an exercise becomes too intense, she can experience an orgasm (abcnews.go.com). Any exercise using the abdominal muscles around the pelvic area can cause women to have, what they call, a “coregasm.” These exercises include crunches and leg raises. The hormones released during physical activity- endorphin and dopamine- are also pleasure hormones, which lead to these coregasms. Lastly, obsession with exercise. The gym can be a very thriving environment. People feed off of each other’s positive attitudes and drive. But too much time at the gym can tire your body, leaving it more vulnerable to injury or illness (livestrong.com). Becoming a “gym rat” can also be related to an obsession with weight or body image, which isn’t healthy and can lead to poor self-esteem. Exercise is a way for people to relax, release stress or energy, or become the person they want to be. While exercise is a very positive thing, it can have its negative effects.
Works Cited
Klosowski, Thorin. "How Exercise Affects Your Body (and How to Pick the Right Workout)." Lifehacker. N.p., 16 May 2013. Web. 23 Jan. 2014.
Moffett, Tamara. "Positive & Negative Effects of Exercise." LIVESTRONG.COM. N.p., 21 Oct. 2013. Web. 24 Jan. 2014.
Unit, RADHA CHITALEABC News Medical. "Freaky Fitness: What Working Out Can Do to You." ABC News. ABC News Network, 23 Jan. 2009. Web. 24 Jan. 2014.

Cited: Klosowski, Thorin. "How Exercise Affects Your Body (and How to Pick the Right Workout)." Lifehacker. N.p., 16 May 2013. Web. 23 Jan. 2014. Moffett, Tamara. "Positive & Negative Effects of Exercise." LIVESTRONG.COM. N.p., 21 Oct. 2013. Web. 24 Jan. 2014. Unit, RADHA CHITALEABC News Medical. "Freaky Fitness: What Working Out Can Do to You." ABC News. ABC News Network, 23 Jan. 2009. Web. 24 Jan. 2014.