Last Updated on August 12, 2020 by Shane Corbitt
The cardiovascular system is undoubtedly one of the most crucial components comprising our anatomy. The heart works tirelessly for the entire duration of life to ensure nutrient and oxygen-rich blood reach the billions of individual cells present throughout the body. I think we can all agree that this process should be allowed to perform its duty as efficiently as possible!
Regular physical activity is an extremely effective means of fortifying the cardiovascular system and allowing the heart to function at a greatly increased capacity. In this article, we will get into some of the specific benefits that exercise provides regarding the circulatory system.
Although a very unique one, the heart is but another one of the hundreds of muscles present in the body. Therefore, this organ is subject to the same methods of strengthening pertaining to all muscle tissue. During exercise, the oxygen and nutrient requirements throughout the entire body increase in demand. To address this need, the heart increases its rate of contraction, forcing more blood through the circulatory system.
When this process becomes a consistent factor over a period of time, the heart experiences an increase in strength. As the heart grows stronger, it is able to contract with more force. This causes more blood to be transported with each individual heartbeat.
Therefore, the heart is not required to contract as rapidly to provide the body with an adequate supply of blood. This is extremely beneficial, as a reduced workload for the cardiovascular system equates to increased longevity of the entire system.
Exercise provides more benefits to the circulatory system than just the heart alone. The vessels that function to transport blood such as the arteries, veins, and capillaries must provide an adequate pathway for the nutrients and oxygen vital to survival to reach their intended targets!
One of the primary ways that exercise optimizes these structures involves a form of fat known as cholesterol. While cholesterol has unfairly received a poor reputation in our society, this substance is essential for various bodily functions.
Furthermore, there are various forms of Cholesterol including the two we will break down, HDL and LDL. LDL is in fact an unwelcome passenger in the bloodstream, as it decreases the flow of blood by clogging up the interior walls of our blood vessels. HDL, however, can be thought of as the hero in this equation.
This form of cholesterol actually flushes LDL out of the cardiovascular system, allowing blood to flow unobstructed. How does this relate to exercise? Regular physical activity actually increases the concentration of HDL in the body.
Since we have already established that the cardiovascular system is a must-have for those of us who like the idea of staying alive, I think we can also agree that any disease related to this system is a bad deal.
In order to stave off these ailments, consistent exercise must not be neglected. Inactivity has long been regarded as one of the primary risk factors for heart disease. In fact, research has shown that a sedentary lifestyle exposes to almost the same risk of dying from heart disease as smoking!
Getting enough exercise is of the utmost importance in regard to your overall physical health and function. Your body is a marvelous piece of equipment and you only get one of them!
The cardiovascular system is one of many components of this equipment that reaps enormous benefits from regular physical activity. However, without a functioning circulatory system, the rest of the body gets quickly left to the wayside. If you want to keep the flow of blood throughout your body at an optimal level of function, simply get moving!
