Participating in regular physical activity — whether it’s walking, running, swimming, biking or playing sports — is very beneficial to your health. The advantages it offers range from preventing chronic health conditions to promoting weight loss, regardless of age or sex.

“When you take part in physical activity, your core or upper body produces hot blood that burns a lot of fat and cholesterol,” explained Garcia. “It penetrates and opens up even clogged arteries and veins and cleans the body from unwanted toxins by sweating it out.”

Furthermore, exercise helps your cardiovascular system — the circulation of blood through your heart and blood vessels — work more efficiently.

• It combats stress and stimulates various brain chemicals that improve your mood. It also boosts your self-confidence and prevents depression.

• It can prevent high blood pressure, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, arthritis and certain types of cancers. It can even manage many diseases as well as lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol and triglycerides while boosting HDL (good) cholesterol. As a result, this lowers the buildup of plaque in your arteries.

• It helps with weight loss and weight management by burning calories and results in a lower body fat percentage.

• It boosts energy levels.

• It promotes more restful sleep, thus improving your concentration, productivity and mood.

• It results in a better sex life.
 

In a nutshell, weight training makes you stronger, leaner and healthier.

“Weight training has excellent health benefits including strengthening and thickening weak bones and strengthening and building skeletal muscle, tendons and ligaments,” said Garcia.

Furthermore, together with exercise, weight training strengthens the heart and allows it to pump more blood with less effort, thus lowering blood pressure.

• It reduces body fat and increases lean muscle mass, which results in a higher metabolic rate that burns more calories at rest. Consequently, you are better able to lose and manage your weight.

• It increases bone density and reduces the risk of osteoporosis.

• It protects your joints from injury and helps you maintain flexibility and balance. It also reduces signs and symptoms of chronic diseases such as arthritis, back pain, depression, diabetes and obesity.

• It boosts your stamina and your self-confidence.

• It lowers the risk of insomnia.

— Remember, you don’t have to bulk up to get these benefits as you will get the same benefits from toning.
 

“Stretching is very important for people of all ages,” said Garcia. “Many people, especially in the Middle East, neglect it as they don’t know the benefits.”

He strongly suggests people who sit for long periods in the office to stretch. “Sitting for a long time makes you feel tired and puts so much pressure on your spinal cord.”

• It reduces muscle tension, helps relieve stress and makes you more energetic.

• It increases the range of movement in the joints, enhances muscular coordination and increases flexibility.

• It increases blood circulation to various parts of the body, which results in faster recovery from muscle injuries.

• Post-workout stretching can also aid in workout recovery, decreases muscle soreness and ensures muscles and tendons are in good working order.

“I suggest stretching before and after your workout to avoid muscle stiffness and soreness,” said Garcia. “You should stretch all your muscle groups — chest, back, biceps, triceps, calves, glutes, shoulders and legs — by holding each position for a minimum of 20 seconds.” According to him, the best stretching exercise is yoga as it makes muscles more elastic and strong, brings oxygen to the muscles and makes joints more flexible. He strongly recommends incorporating an hour-long yoga class to your fitness routine.

As you can see cardio, weight training and stretching offer many benefits and should go hand in hand in your fitness plan. For optimal results, Garcia recommends doing a combination of cardio and weight training four times a week and stretching before and after your workout.

— With input from www.mayoclinic.com