What’s the point of working out when you already feel healthy? Isn’t it just to allow people to look good? I never gave working out much of a thought. All I wanted to get out of it was so that I don’t end up with a belly later on in my life. As long as I felt like I burned those calories I had yesterday, I felt healthy enough to not accumulate any excess fat. I became curious if all this physical activity had any other benefits and decided to go to google. What are some benefits of working out? Surprisingly, I found out that physical activity has a large variety of health benefits, some of which are modulating pain and reducing the risk of certain health issues. Things most people do not think about but should get to know to prevent issues in the future as they live out their lives.

With physical activity being able to reduce the risk of certain cancers and interestingly modulate pain, it surely can extend the well-being and longevity of a person’s life. As we slowly recover from covid-19, it is important to learn and/or remind ourselves of these health benefits. Especially for the young adults who have been stuck indoors sitting around looking at their electronics for the past couple of years for the vast majority of the day. They probably will not notice it right away, but once they start going out again, they will feel sluggish and notice that their body is not what it used to be. This will have a negative impact on their health and may increase the risks of health issues, leading them to become part of the statistics of the rising American health concerns involving cancer. Physical activity is the best way to reduce health risks, especially if people start early in their lives and stay consistent with their routines.

According to the article, “The Promise of Leisure-Time Physical Activity to Reduce Risk of Cancer Development“, the authors who are doctors of philosophy and a master of science explain that cancer is on the rise worldwide and that physical activity is linked to the probability of developing certain cancers. The authors state, “These studies, primarily conducted in cancers of the lung, breast, prostate, colon/rectum, and endometrium, show a 10% to 40% cancer risk reduction when the most physically active study participants were compared with the least active participants.” This shows that this topic has been researched in the past relating physical activity to rates of cancers. The body parts listed in the statement are all important factors in everyday life. With a 10 to 40 percent chance of reducing the risk of developing cancer in those areas, everyone should keep in mind that physical activity is also a means to prevent negative life-changing events. Their article also states that based on the intensity of a person’s physical activity, can reduce different types of cancers. “For example, light to moderate physical activities performed in the recent past appear to reduce risk of postmenopausal breast cancer, while for colon cancer it has been suggested that moderate to intense activities performed consistently over the life course result in the greatest benefit.” Based on the intensity of your activity, it will generate different results. During an interview with Samantha Liang who is a registered nurse said “it is recommended to exercise three times a week for at least one hour. Exercises can be as simple as walking can have long-term positive effects on the body and mind”. I believe the key takeaway from this information is that you should stay consistent when conducting your exercises in order to receive the actual benefits.

The way physical activity reduces the risk of some cancers is due to your body regulating hormones. The article, “Physical Activity and Cancer” published by the National Cancer Institute provide details of how physical activity can lower levels of sex hormones, prevent high blood levels of insulin, reduce inflammation, improve the immune system, prevents obesity, and reduce the risk of cancer in your gastrointestinal tract which is part of your digestion system. This information shows how physical activity regulates the elements that influence cancer as these factors can lead to cancer development in a person’s breast, colon, pancreas, and so much more.  Any abnormal development in an individual’s body can lead to cancer, but physical activity can help the body maintain equilibrium to stay healthy. This is also reinforced by Samantha when she told me, “if a person eats healthy and exercises daily, the chances of having co-morbidities will decrease.” This means the less likelihood of having two or more medical conditions in a person’s body can be achieved through physical activity and a proper diet allowing your organs to properly function. Exercising will prevent any internal issues allowing you to conduct your daily business without worrying about it in the long run.

The other benefit of physical activity is pain tolerance, specifically pain that is persistent (chronic).  In the article, “How does physical activity modulate pain?” researchers from the National Library of Medicine state, “As the current study emphasizes, chronic pain rates increase in the older adult population and older adults are less physically active than younger adults.”  Regardless of age, an individual is more susceptible to pain if they are not physically active. The article further describes how it is an effective treatment and prevention method. As we get older, our bodies become smaller and more fragile. This is important to keep in mind because time is not on your side. If you do not maintain or improve the muscle mass of your body, you will lose it even faster, exposing your nerves and veins. Being active is almost like maintaining and developing your body’s armor. The more muscles you have, the lower the chance of injury to your nerves, veins, and organs. Another example from this article says, “Similarly, in a Norwegian population-based study, incidence of chronic musculoskeletal pain was from 10 – 38% lower in those who participated in regular physical activity (moderate exercise one – three times/week) than those not reporting any leisure-time exercise.” The statistics show us that physical activity strengthens the foundation of your body.

Based on the article “Exercise and Chronic Pain” written by health professors from the Utah State University, “Individuals suffering from chronic pain can enjoy a number of benefits of physical activity and exercise. Physical activity reduces chronic pain by building muscle strength and flexibility, reducing fatigue, reducing pain sensitivity, and reducing inflammation.” This tells us that physical activity develops tissues in your body that can help regulate the pain you receive from external elements.  The flexibility benefit comes from the repetition of movement increasing your range of motion. The article further provides us with information on how physical activity reduces fatigue which is a symptom of many chronic pain conditions, how it allows your brain to regulate pain by releasing natural pain relievers, and how it helps with sleep for you and your body to rest and repair. This shows how your body produces chemicals to aid in tolerating pain. Additionally, Samantha backs this up by saying, “Exercise can help chronic pain by targeting certain muscles to be stronger. That’s why people go to physical therapy to help identify muscles that can help prevent or lessen the pain of certain spots such as back pain.” This shows that physical activity can be used as a remedy to relieve pain as well.

For these reasons, physical activity is not only for outside appearances but is also for a large variety of health benefits that will help prolong your life. If you want to have a healthy life, I strongly recommend staying consistent with your physical activities. It will help reduce the risks of cancers and increase your pain tolerance, especially as you grow older. Additional research is also required if you want to learn more about specific information to questions that you may have as this topic is constantly being updated by researchers around the world.