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What Happens to Your Body From Lack of Exercise?

Pinpointing the health benefits of exercise is fairly easy considering the fact that gym rats and joggers often look svelte and attractive. However, with the fast-paced, multitasking demands of modern life, a lot of people often choose or are simply forced into living very sedentary lifestyles. Unfortunately, functionality of almost every system of the human body declines due to inactivity.

  1. Muscle Wasting

    • Probably the most obvious effect of lack of exercise is loss of muscle tissue. For instance, if you used to dance a lot in your twenties and your life pattern changes with time, you may find that your body is not as flexible if you go out to dance one night during a sedentary period in your life. This may be attributed to muscle disuse atrophy or the loss of tissue due to lack of exercise. The University of Maryland Medical Center promises, however, that all hope is not lost. By simply adding exercise to your daily routine and eating a healthy diet, you can rebuild muscle tissue and become agile again.

    Sluggish Blood Circulation

    • The next time you book a flight for extended air travel longer than two hours, consider purchasing a first- or business-class ticket for extra leg room to move your feet and legs. Lack of movement contributes to a slowing of the blood circulation. Slow blood circulation is extremely dangerous as it contributes to clot formation instead of flowing freely. This kind of clotting is referred to medically as deep vein thrombosis and it can become fatal if the clot is not treated in time and moves to the lungs, brain or heart.

    Decline in Mental Function

    • Poor circulation from lack of exercise also means that less oxygen reaches the brain during the course of the day. According to Kristine Yaffe, M.D., researchers at the University of California San Francisco found that even the smallest increase in exercise delivers more oxygen to the brain to improve memory retention, concentration, and the ability to plan and organize multiple tasks. Duke University Medical Center psychologist James Blumenthal concurs that exercise may offset age-related mental decline.

    Joint Stiffness

    • If your knees and hips feel stiff and hurt when you sit down or rstand up, you may be able to reverse this inflexibility with exercise. Just like oil lubricated the joints in the Wizard of Oz's Tin Man, exercise lubricates the cartilage in human joints to help maintain range of motion. The Johns Hopkins University Arthritis Center recommends exercise also for decreasing inflammation and swelling. People who experience considerable joint pain are encouraged to do swim aerobics in warm water of 78 to 83 degrees Fahrenheit for comfort.

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