Celebrate Strength and Wellness: The Importance of National Exercise Day on April 18
Celebrate National Exercise Day on April 18! Discover its history, benefits, and fun ways to stay active while boosting your mental and physical health.
National Exercise Day on April 18: Celebrating the Power of Fitness, Mental Wellness, and a Healthier Lifestyle for Everyone
April 18 is deemed National Exercise Day, reminding all to take care of their health and hustle for fitness every day. It is a day for encouraging young and old, rich and poor, working and retired, athletes and couch potatoes to exercise and reap the health benefits from it. People could be out walking in the parks, doing yoga, or hitting the gym. Any kind of movement will improve health immensely. Sadly, less than a quarter of the entire population turns out for serious workouts, even with everyone knowing the benefits.
The history of fitness began with ancient civilizations. Though often credited to the shaping of early fitness practices in Ancient Greece, exercise does have its place in many cultures of the world. From the birth of yoga in the Indian land in 3300 B.C. down to the highly strenuous sports of medieval Europe, the essence of movement has been with mankind. Yoga, which has deep connections between mind and body, is one of the earliest-ever recorded forms of exercise. It has come down through time to take up different forms that focus not only on spirituality but also on physical health and well-being.
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Even philosophers and political leaders were aware of the importance of exercise. In his sayings from 65 B.C., Roman politician Marcus Cicero affirmed: “It is exercise alone that supports the spirits and keeps the mind in strength.” In those times, actually even in the Early Middle Ages, physical exercise was considered important for survival, primarily among the Germanic tribes from Northern Europe. By 1949, British epidemiologist Dr. Jerry Morris had set up a study on how physical activity could affect heart health. His famous observations on bus conductors, who moved fairly often and therefore, experienced significantly less heart attacks compared to bus drivers who remained sedentary all day, went a long way in establishing the link between exercise and health.
Milestones in fitness history have remained an inspiration to generations since then. Our first modern fitness coach, Jack Lalanne, came upon the scene on 1914. In 1976, gymnast Nadia Comaneci made the very first perfect 10 at the Olympics. Born in 1997, Simone Biles eventually became one of the most accomplished gymnasts in history. National Exercise Day was created in 2020, which established a time for each year for promotion of physical fitness.
There are a lot of things you can do to celebrate the day. You can go to a fitness center and start with simple workouts; just one day per week is a fantastic start. Make exercising an enjoyable experience by listening to your favorite playlist. You could also invite some family or friends along — after all, working out together helps motivate one through social bonding.
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There are some interesting facts about exercise too. For example, did you know that muscles burn three times more calories compared to fat? Running is an excellent activity for burning calories and building endurance. Exercise names support of memory by secreting brain chemicals, which are involved in learning and cognition. Full-body workout-wise, planking might just be one of the most effective workouts. And remember, although exercising is good, overdoing it can lead to injuries plus mental burnout.
And, this is why we love National Exercise Day: To enhance people’s wellness, build mental acuity, and forge social bonds. Exercise triggers release of feel-good chemicals in the brain, lowers stress levels, and uplifts mood. Working out together is then just the opportune moment to form close friendships, laugh, and encourage each other!
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