What Happens to Your Body When You Exercise 30 Minutes Every Day
Just 30 minutes can have a significant impact on your health.
Reviewed by Dietitian Maria Laura Haddad-Garcia
Many healthy habits can impact your overall health profoundly, from eating enough veggies to getting adequate and quality sleep every day.
Among the many steps you may take to keep your body in tip-top shape, staying active may be one of them. After all, including movement in your day is associated with some pretty impressive benefits—even if you can only commit to 30 minutes daily.
If you have ever wondered what can happen to your body if you exercise for 30 minutes daily, keep reading to learn more.
Related: What Happens to Your Body When You Walk 10,000 Steps per Day
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Health Benefits of Regular Exercise
Regular exercise is a powerful tool for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. And including movement in your daily habits can profoundly benefit your health.
Here are some benefits of regular exercise.
May Reduce Your Risk of Cognitive Decline
One significant benefit of regular exercise is its positive impact on cognitive functioning. According to a small 2021 study published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, aerobic exercise—think walking and cycling—may help reduce cognition decline. Even more so, some research has shown that increasing physical activity might even help prevent around 3% of all dementia cases, per a 2021 review in Nutrients.
May Reduce Your Blood Heart Pressure
Regular exercise plays a pivotal role in maintaining heart health. Increasing your heart rate promotes better blood circulation, which helps reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases, per a 2022 review in Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy. Furthermore, it aids in maintaining blood pressure levels within a normal range, thereby reducing strain on the heart, according to a 2020 review in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
Additionally, frequent physical activity can also help lower cholesterol levels while increasing the proportion of HDL cholesterol (also known as “good” cholesterol), per a 2020 review in the American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology.
May Support Your Bone Health
Exercising may also help in maintaining and improving bone health. According to a 2022 review published in Frontiers in Endocrinology, weight-bearing and resistance exercises, like running, jumping or lifting weights, stimulate the growth and strengthening of bones. This helps to increase bone density and decreases the risk of osteoporosis and fractures in later life. What’s more, exercise improves balance and coordination, reducing the likelihood of falls that can lead to bone injuries, per a 2021 article in Medical Clinics of North America.
May Improve Your Sleep Quality
Regular exercise not only benefits cognitive function, heart health and bone density, but it also supports better sleep. Physical activity can contribute to more sound and restful sleep by helping you fall asleep faster and deepening your sleep. According to a 2018 review in Sleep Medicine Reviews, the increase in body temperature during exercise is thought to improve sleep quality by helping it drop during sleep. You might also feel more alert during the day and experience less daytime sleepiness.
Additionally, regular exercise may help improve your mood and decompress the mind, akin to meditation, which can help improve sleep quality.
May Increase Your Energy Levels
Exercise is also a natural and sustainable energy booster. When you exercise, the blood flow in your body increases, ensuring that important nutrients and oxygen are efficiently delivered to your cells. This process aids the conversion of nutrients into usable energy, enhancing your stamina and reducing feelings of fatigue, per a 2021 meta-analysis in the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Moreover, regular physical activity helps to improve metabolic function, leading to more consistent energy levels throughout the day.
Related: The Best 7-Day Walking Plan to Boost Your Energy Levels, According to a Certified Trainer
May Boost Your Mood
You’ve probably heard the term “runner’s high” and may wonder if that’s actually true. Research has shown that exercise may help support your mental health by improving your mood. According to a 2021 article in Biomolecules, exercise triggers the release of endorphins, often referred to as "feel-good hormones," which can lead to feelings of happiness and euphoria. Regular physical activity can also alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety by promoting relaxation and enhancing the body's ability to handle stress. Additionally, the simple act of focusing on exercise can provide a break from negative thoughts that fuel anxiety and depression.
Potential Risks and Precautions
Despite the numerous health benefits of regular exercise, there are potential risks that one must be aware of—particularly those who are new to exercise or have preexisting medical conditions.
Potential Risks:
Injuries: High-impact exercises can lead to injuries such as sprains, strains and fractures. Not using proper form or technique also increases injury risk.
Overtraining: Excessive exercise without sufficient rest can lead to overtraining syndrome, characterized by decreased performance, increased resting heart rate and persistent muscle soreness.
Heart Problems: While rare, intense exercise can sometimes lead to heart problems in individuals with undiagnosed heart conditions.
Precautions:
Medical Clearance: Before starting an exercise program, individuals with chronic health conditions or those over 45 should seek medical clearance.
Gradual Progression: Start with low-intensity exercise and gradually increase duration and intensity to decrease injury risk.
Warm Up and Cool Down: Incorporate warmup and cooldown routines to prepare the body for exercise and aid recovery post-workout.
Hydration and Nutrition: Consuming enough fluids and nutrients is crucial to maintain energy during workouts and promote recovery afterward.
Remember, exercise should be tailored to individual fitness levels and health conditions. It is essential to listen to your body and rest when needed. Regular exercise, when done correctly, can be a safe and effective way to improve overall health.
Related: The 7 Best Foods & Drinks for Sore Muscles, According to a Dietitian
How to Stay Active in Your Daily Life
There are many ways to stay active in your daily life. “The best way to stay active is to find an exercise or a type of movement you enjoy,” explains Sarah Anzlovar, M.S., RDN, a weight-loss dietitian for moms. “For some people, that's a more traditional exercise like running, biking, hiking or going to studio classes. For others, it might be having dance parties with your kids, gardening and other yardwork, roller skating or walking to work.”
“It's also really helpful to schedule movement like you would any other appointment, if it's not naturally part of your day. And make it social by having a friend or family member join you,” Anzlovar adds. You can also set achievable goals related to physical activity. Your goals could be as specific as you’d like, such as a particular number of steps to walk, minutes to bike or just a commitment to get up and move every hour. You can also consider using a standing desk or making a habit of standing while talking on the phone or during virtual meetings.
Related: What Is Joyful Movement & How Can It Help You Actually Enjoy Exercising?
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 30 minutes a day enough exercise?
According to Anzlovar, 30 minutes per day is enough exercise. However, if you usually stay seated for the rest of the day, she notes, “Adding movement throughout the day, like walking, is helpful.”
Can you lose weight by exercising 30 minutes a day?
“Any movement done during the day contributes to caloric burn, whether it is walking, cardio conditioning, strength training or stretching, says Kate Counts, a certified personal trainer and owner of Evolve Movement Collective. However, other factors, such as calorie deficit, are important to achieve your weight-loss goals.
How long does it take to see results from working out every day?
When we start moving every day, the mental results are instant, Counts explains. “The clarity and natural dopamine response instantly improves our mood,” she shares.
Counts adds, “Physically, we begin to see results after two weeks of commitment, six weeks our clothes begin to fit differently, and eight weeks our bodies begin to crave our new lifestyle.”
Should you do cardio or strength training every day?
Counts explains that people can holistically approach the variety of training: “If you have 30 minutes to move, incorporate a small burst of cardio to get your heart rate up and then longer periods of strength and core conditioning to get the best of both worlds every day.” She adds that it is also important to include a rest day during the week to help the body recover.
The Bottom Line
Exercising for 30 minutes every day can positively impact your health. From being a natural mood booster to helping support bone health, the potential benefits of physical activity are impressive.
If you love running or resistance training and have no contraindications, go for it. And if you prefer other ways of staying active, such as dancing, walking or jumping rope, that’s great too! The key to making physical activity part of your everyday life is to find ways to enjoy moving!
Related: The Best Walking Plan to Help You Reduce Stress
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