How can you tell the difference between a “long-term exerciser” and a “never-athlete” at a glance? A netizen’s answer was praised by many people: “People who exercise for a long time not only look younger, but also have a firm and tall body, and exude confidence and sunshine from the inside out.” ”Indeed, people who have the habit of exercising can often deeply realize that when exercising, the whole person’s energy and mood will become different. Exercise not only brings people physical health and pleasure, but also takes away negative emotions, anxiety and stress, just like a comprehensive “purification” and “detoxification” of the body and mind.Therefore, many people say that “exercise is the cure for everything“. August 8th National Fitness Day, 6 “best exercise” ways, many people don’t exercise right!

6 “Best Exercises” that many people don’t get right in!

1. The best exercise to improve sleep – strength trainingInsomnia, easy awakening, difficulty falling asleep, poor sleep performance…… Many people have trouble sleeping, what should they do if they want to improve their sleep quality but don’t want to use drugs indiscriminately? In June 2024, a study published in the international academic journal PLoS Synthesis found that strength training was the most effective in improving sleep and improving sleep quality after comparing the effects of different measures such as exercise, diet and sleep hygiene on sleep quality! 
Screenshot of the studyThe study found that for people under 65 years of age, strength training is the most effective non-drug way to improve sleep quality, and is more effective than aerobic exercises such as running and walking.

2. The best exercise for anti-depression – dancing exercise

Have you noticed that after a sweaty workout, the whole person is in a better mood! Exercise has been recognized in several clinical practice guidelines as an effective means of improving physical and mental health. In January 2024, a finding on the relationship between exercise and depression published in the British Medical Journal was published: exercise can have a good therapeutic effect on depression, and the best exercise to combat depression is – dancing!

In addition, walking and jogging, yoga, strength training, mixed aerobics, tai chi are also good options

3. The best exercise for life extension – swing the racket

Life lies in exercise, and exercise helps prolong life! Previously, a study involving 80,000 people and lasting 15 years on the relationship between different types of sports and all-cause mortality published in the well-known medical journal The Lancet found that the best life-prolonging exercise is swinging racket sports (badminton, table tennis, tennis, etc.), which can reduce all-cause mortality by 47%. 

Screenshot of the studySwinging racket sports often require the mobilization of multiple muscle groups in the body, the eyes look at the ball to carry out hand-eye coordination, and at the same time, at the moment of hitting the ball, there will be a relative explosive force. It emphasizes coordination, flexibility, and a certain amount of endurance, which can help us improve musculoskeletal strength, improve cardiopulmonary function and coordination, make people’s attention more concentrated, keep the brain in an active state, and play a role in helping to delay brain aging and protect cardiovascular disease.

4. The best exercise to lower blood pressure – isometric exercise

Proper exercise is a very good way to lower blood pressure. A 2023 study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, an international authoritative journal, found that all types of exercise helped lower blood pressure, but “isometric exercise” dropped the most.Therefore, “isometric exercises” are the best choice for lowering blood pressure, such as: squatting against the wall, planks, standing piles, zama steps, calf raising, etc. 

5. Exercises to increase bone density – strength training

Many people are told that “low bone density” and “osteoporosis” are told during the physical examination. A few days ago, a study published in the medical journal “Bone” found that the best exercise to increase bone density is not running and walking, but – strength training!

Gym strength training area Health Times mapThe study found that strength training was better than isometric contraction exercises such as planks and wall squats, as well as simple physical activities such as walking and running, in increasing and maintaining bone density. Therefore, if you also have the problem of low bone density, in addition to diet, increase strength training appropriately to better increase bone density

6. The best exercise to relieve low back pain – walking exercises

Back pain is one of the common chronic diseases that plague many people. What exercises can relieve recurrent episodes of lower back pain? In June 2024, a study published in the internationally renowned medical journal The Lancet showed that walking is not only a low-cost, low-risk exercise, but also significantly reduces the recurrence of low back pain, especially for those with initial back pain

Walking, as a simple and easy form of exercise, is suitable for most people to do at any time. Not only is it simple and easy to implement, but it is also very effective, and it is a very cost-effective health regimen. The benefits of walking for physical health are manifold, helping to enhance heart and lung function, improve blood circulation, lower blood pressure and blood sugar levels, reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, and more.

Exercise wants to get twice the result with half the effort and do these three things well

1. The best time to exercise – after 6 p.mIs it better to exercise in the morning or in the afternoon? Is there also the best time to exercise?According to a study published in the journal Diabetes Care in April 2024, people with obesity or diabetes are most effective and benefit from exercising after 18 o’clock

A study published in the journal Obesity in June 2024 also found that the best time of day to exercise is also after 18 o’clock, and exercising after 18 o’clock is most beneficial for lowering blood sugar

2. Optimal exercise duration – 30-60 minutesMany people believe that the more exercise, the better, and that the longer the exercise, the greater the benefit. But a study of more than 1.2 million people published in The Lancet Psychiatry found that the idea was wrong. In terms of duration, the optimal duration of each exercise is between 30-60 minutes, with a peak of around 45 minutes; If you exercise for more than 90 minutes, it can even have a negative effect.

3. Optimal exercise intensity – Moderate intensity

If the exercise intensity is too low, it will have no effect, and if the exercise intensity is too high, it is easy to get injured. Both existing research and exercise experts recommend that exercise at least moderate intensity. The heart rate of moderate intensity exercise is controlled in the maximum heart rate range of 60%~85%, and the heart rate is generally 100~140 beats/min during exercise