Exercise is great for our health, and contrary to popular misunderstanding, its benefits aren’t limited to a weight-loss focus. The best kinds of physical activity are not about “burning calories” or “shedding fat”, but supporting our overall health and well-being.
Regular exercise can contribute to improved mood, better sleep, stronger bones and muscles, and reduced risk of injury and disease—just to name a few health benefits.
Whether you want to improve one area of your health or to support your overall well-being, here are the best non-weight-loss-focused exercises—complete with explanations of why and how they can support your long-term health.
1. Pelvic Floor Exercises for Your Pelvic Floor Health
Looking after your pelvic floor health is vital for preventing various health issues. Your pelvic floor muscles support organs including your bladder and bowel (and uterus in women), aid bladder control, and help keep the spine and pelvis stable. Strong pelvic floor muscles are crucial for preventing incontinence, organ prolapse, UTIs (urinary tract infections), and other health conditions. For men, the pelvic floor can become weakened from chronic constipation or prostate cancer treatment. For women, heavy periods, endometriosis, pregnancy, childbirth, and chronic constipation are risk factors.
To help prevent pelvic floor health complications, you can practice pelvic floor exercises—also known as Kegels. There areplenty of online resources that share pelvic floor exerciseswhere you can also learn about how to look after your pelvic floor health.
If you want to jump straight in and incorporate Kegels into your everyday routine, try the Squeeze Time - Kegel Exercises app. It’s free to download and offers timed Kegels with instructions on how to perform each exercise. you may also set reminders to do your daily pelvic floor exercises and review your activity in theHistorytab.
Download:Squeeze Time forAndroid|iOS(Free, offers in-app purchases)
2. Mobility Movements for Injury Prevention and Quality of Life
Mobility is the ability to move purposefully throughout your day—incorporating balance, coordination, physical stamina, strength, and a range of motion. According toHarvard Health, good mobility is crucial for not only carrying out everyday tasks, but also for preventing injuries, avoiding falls, and decreasing physical decline as you age.
Practicing regular mobility exercises is the best way to improve your balance, flexibility, and strength, among all other factors required to keep you moving at any age. This can be achieved through yoga, Pilates, and physiotherapy.
Yoga for Mobility
Yoga is renowned for its health-promoting benefits. While its traditional practice is rooted in the spiritual discipline (as developed in its homeland, India), you can find modern practices that focus on the mobilizing benefits of original asanas (poses) and vinyasas (flow of poses).
The Yoga InstituteYouTube Channel can help you improve your mobility through traditional practices. The Yoga Institute was founded in 1918 by Shri Yogendraji, making it the oldest organized yoga center in the world. Alternatively, learnhow to choose the right yoga style for your goalsin our guide.
Pilates for Mobility
Pilates is a mind-body exercise that focuses on precise movements and breathing techniques. Established Pilates teacher,Lottie Murphy, shares plenty of free flexibility and mobility Pilates classes on her YouTube Channel. Alternatively, you can download her Pilates app forAndroidoriOSto access Pilates content on your favorite device.
Physiotherapy Exercises for Mobility
Practicing physiotherapy exercises can help prevent injury and keep your body in optimum health. It keeps your muscles flexible and strong while enabling a range of motion in your joints. The pliability: mobility+recovery app is a great tool to learn physiotherapy exercises to improve your mobility. Start with the mobility test before proceeding with exercises to improve your mobility, strength, and endurance based on your personal needs.
Download:pliability: mobility+recovery forAndroid|iOS(Free, in-app purchases available)
3. Aerobic Exercises for Your Cardiovascular Health
Looking after your cardiovascular health is important for your long-term health. Aerobic exercise can help support your heart and circulatory system, enabling you to complete your daily tasks without getting tired or breathless. It can help prevent cardiovascular disease (or stop it from worsening) by lowering your blood pressure and heart rate, plus improving your cholesterol levels. Other benefits include improved sleep and better emotional well-being.
Whatever your heart or circulatory condition, exercise can benefit your health, so says theBritish Heart Foundation. Physical activity can help ease symptoms, slow down heart disease, and support your overall well-being.
If you do have a heart condition, please verify you consult your doctor before you start any new activity. For most, theWe Are UndefeatableYouTube Channel offers accessible exercise videos that are suitable for people with health conditions. You’ll find a range of aerobic classes, including dance, energy-boosting exercises, and moderate aerobics.
You can also support your cardiovascular health through other aerobic activities, such as dance, walking, running, cycling, swimming, and more. Check out theseaerobics workout apps to get your heart pumping, or you can try theselow-impact cardio workouts to help prevent injury.
4. Strength Training for Your Bone Health
Looking after your bone health can help prevent “silent diseases” such as osteoporosis. TheNational Institute on Agingsuggests choosing weight-bearing exercises, such as strength training, hiking, climbing stairs, or tennis, to help keep your bones strong as you age.
If you want to try strength training, you’re able to find over 1,000 workout plans on the reputable fitness platform,Muscle & Strength. Each plan provides strength training exercises to complete, accompanied by clear instructional videos on how to safely and effectively execute each movement.
You could also try acalisthenics app for effective bodyweight strength training. The popular Home Workout - No Equipment app is great for all levels, and you can strength train using weights or just your body—simply choosebodyweight exercises onlyduring setup for the latter.
Download:Home Workout - No Equipment forAndroid|iOS(Free, subscription available)
5. Moderate to High-Intensity Exercises for Your Brain Health
TheCenters for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC) explains that moderate-to-vigorous physical activity can have an almost immediate beneficial effect on brain health. It can help you think, learn, problem solve, reduce anxiety or depression, and support your overall cognitive health. You only need 30 minutes a day for five days a week to reap the benefits, which can be achieved through dancing, walking, household chores, or any other activity you can fit into your daily routine.
If you want to aim for a vigorous activity to support your brain health, you could try HIIT (high-intensity interval training.) The Down Dog HIIT app is an easy-to-use app that offers high-intensity workouts suitable for all levels. You can choose to exercise specific areas or participate in a full-body session. You can also choose the duration of your workout, depending on how much time you have to spare.
Download:Down Dog HIIT forAndroid|iOS(Free, subscription available)
6. Regular Physical Activity for Your Mental Health and Longevity
At the end of the day, participating in any regular exercise can help reduce a range of major mortality risk factors, including hypertension, diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, and cancer (Journal of Aging Research), which will support your longevity. TheMental Health Foundationalso promotes physical activity for its mental health benefits, as it releases mood-boosting brain chemicals that can also raise your self-esteem and help you to concentrate, sleep well, and feel better overall.
If you’re not sure what type of exercise to incorporate into a regular schedule, try using anonline workout routine generator. These free tools create exercise plans for you to take away the stress of deciding what to do and when you need to move. You could also try walking or hiking, jogging, cycling, and rowing, as these are all varieties of steady-state cardio that can benefit your overall health.
Exercise Is Great for Your Health, Whatever Physical Activity You Enjoy
The best way to benefit from exercise is to pick movements that you enjoy and that don’t induce feelings of guilt or stress. While exercising to lose weight might be a suitable goal for some people, finding movement that can help support different areas of your well-being might be a better motivation. Aim for consistency, whatever that looks like for you. If you can manage to incorporate 10 minutes of physical exercise into your daily routine, that’s an amazing place to start.
