Staying healthy is important to everyone. Without our health, it is impossible to engage in activities that call for physical exertion, or to focus the mind long enough to enjoy anything that is going on around you. Unfortunately, many people assume that eating a balanced diet and taking supplements of various vitamins and minerals are enough to stay healthy. While nutrition is important, the role of exercise in maintaining good health cannot be underestimated. Here is how vitamin supplements, good nutrition, and exercise go hand in hand to ensure a healthy life.
Without a doubt, vitamins and minerals are the fuel that helps keep us going. Without them, the body would not have the resources it needs to keep our minds balanced, our hearts beating and our lungs breathing. Our muscles would not work, and our bones would deteriorate. It is easy to find examples of people who gradually wear themselves down simply because they fail to get the nutrients they need through diet and the use of supplements.
At the same time, making use of the nutrients we ingest is also key to maintaining a healthy life. In order to help the body make the most of what we put into it, we must stay active. Muscles that are not challenged will shrink, even if there are enough nutrients present to keep them alive and basically functional. A heart that is not challenged from time to time will weaken over time, despite a steady flow of nutrition into the body.
When we exercise, several things happen. Along with working the various systems that make up the body, activities like walking, running, swimming, and simple aerobics promote the body’s efficient absorption of vitamins and minerals. Many of the nutrients we take in are synthesized by one organ or another into a different form that helps to promote overall good health. Without exercise, many of the nutrients we take in would simply pass through the body without ever being absorbed.
As an example, it is a fact that in order to maintain a strong heart, it is necessary to take in several different vitamins and minerals each day. Vitamins A, E, and several of the B vitamins are essential to proper heart function. At the same time, minerals like a balance of calcium and magnesium, potassium, copper, and zinc are also needed. By making it a point to engage in exercise that increases the heart rate for at least thirty minutes each day, we make it easier for the heart to make use of this nutrition more efficiently. This in turn helps to ensure the heart is healthy enough to beat at a healthy rate for many years to come.
Along with promoting the health of the body, exercise also supports the value of nutrients when it comes to good mental health. Many people today suffer from emotional issues such as depression, anxiety and various types of phobias. While taking a good quality B complex vitamin along with a balance of calcium and magnesium and a dose of Vitamin C is important, exercise helps the nervous system and the brain make the most efficient use of those nutrients to correct the emotional imbalance. Even activities like a brisk walk each day or a morning jog before work will help promote the production of endorphins and various types of neurotransmitters that help to offset stress and other factors that lead to depression or anxiety. As a result of the combination of nutrition and physical activity, these forms of mental illness are gradually overcome, allowing the individual to enjoy life in ways that seemed to be gone forever.
While everyone has the same basic nutritional needs, not everyone requires the same amount of each vitamin and mineral each day. In addition, some people make their living with jobs that require a great deal of physical exertion, which makes it less urgent to go to a gym or ride a bike each day. The key to finding the ideal combination of nutritional supplementation and exercise lies in assessing your current lifestyle and making changes to include what you need accordingly.
For people who work in sedentary jobs, taking the time to walk thirty minutes in the evening as well as working out two or three times a week is essential to helping the body make the most efficient use of the nutrients obtained from the diet and various supplements.
If you are not sure how to create an overall fitness and nutrition program that meets your needs, talk with a nutritionist and physical trainer. There is a good chance that by making a few simple changes in the way you live, your body will feel stronger and your mental functions will be sharper.