Two in every three people are considered overweight or obese just in the U.S. The scary truth is that we are a declining population, what can we do to stop this and protect the future? Childhood obesity has more than tripled over the past three decades causing a threat to the youth. The power of exercise has a dual impact on one's physical and mental state. This essay will dive into how just a regular workout routine can be a lifelong change to a healthier mind and body, changing the world.

Actively engaging in physical activity can help mental illness such as reducing anxiety and depression. Exercise produces feel-good endorphins that give a sense of euphoria during and after a workout. These endorphins help alleviate stress and improve our overall well-being (¨Importance of exercise¨). Exercise statistics are shown with frequent physical activity anxiety and depression levels were reduced from a clinical/subclinical level. This is crucial to the fact that these disorders are most common worldwide (¨Madelline Conolly¨). Following correct usage of exercise these mental health barriers were decreased providing a distraction from negative thoughts giving us a sense of accomplishment boosting self-esteem (¨Madeline Connolly¨). From a more biological perspective, exercise also increases one's brain function leading to students doing better academically with school activity. The physical activity we do increases blood flow to the brain giving it more oxygen to support it. When we exercise our heart rate shoots up, and temperature levels rise, which causes us to be tired afterward. With the frequent use of exercise, individuals were able to reduce insomnia and improve overall brain function (¨Importance of exercise¨).

Regular exercise has a powerful effect on our physical well-being, reducing the risk of heart disease and decreasing obesity. These illnesses have a direct correlation to a longer lifespan. As individuals do physical activity such as weightlifting, running, or even just walking, we gain several benefits. Cardiovascular exercises have been shown to strengthen our bones and boost our immune system. One essay says,¨If people exercised for a majority of their time, the average age of people all over the world would eventually increase from 84 years to 94 years.¨(Importance of exercise) This shows the correlation between exercise leading to a longer and healthier life. A major risk factor to living a lazy lifestyle and developing things like diabetes is blood sugar levels. When individuals work their body naturally burns off sugar to help prevent diabetes and fuel the body. When talking about heart disease, exercise improves blood flow lowering the body's overall cholesterol. Having higher cholesterol and blood pressure leads to heart disease causing your life to diminish.( ¨Importance of physical fitness¨).

Some people believe they simply do not have enough time to exercise or are worried about doing too much. Doing short bursts of exercise throughout the day including a simple walk around the neighborhood for 30 minutes, or going on a mile jog can reap all of these health benefits. There is no exact time needed to seek these benefits because everyone has different fitness levels and metabolizes energy, and food differently. Having a schedule to fit in exercise is about making it a priority, and learning to prioritize your health over other daily activities. This could be waking up an hour earlier to get a workout in, or even finding time before work to go on a walk. The New York Post says that around %42 of people say they don't have enough time to workout as an excuse (¨ New York Post ¨). Combining day-to-day tasks can also help create productivity and time to complete a workout such as listening to an audiobook while you jog, bodyweight exercises, and yoga while relaxing and watching TV. Another study found that even a 15-minute walk a day can increase your life expectancy by over three years (“Importance of Physical Fitness”). There are several factors around improving time management that individuals can learn to live a healthier lifestyle.

In conclusion, everyone knows there are no detrimental effects of exercising, and want to improve their lifestyle and become healthier. Short and consistent exercise improves your physical and mental health reducing the risk of chronic illnesses like obesity and heart disease. It's not about not having enough time or being afraid of overdoing it, it's about making that time that you may not ever be able to have back. Life is very short and this is a way society can be healthier protecting the youth, and living to see another day.