This entry was posted on May 9, 2017 by RCM VA.

Working out makes you hot and sweaty and increases your heart rate, but most people don’t realize all the other changes your body goes through.

Brain Functions

Your brain gains great benefits with the increased blood flow from working out. Your brain cells immediately start functioning at a higher level to give you a feeling of being more alert and awake while working out and a feeling of more focus after the workout. Regular workouts turn some genes off or on to protect you from Alzheimer’s, strokes, Parkinson’s Disease and helps you to ward off a decline in your body due to aging. Exercise triggers endorphin’s to give you a feeling of well-being which is sometimes called a “runner’s high.” You also will experience an increase in serotonin, which helps as a mood stabilizer and reduces depression.

Diaphragm

Your diaphragm can grow tired with the additional heavy breathing associated with workouts. It can cause a side stitch that may be due to the diaphragm having spasms or the ligaments around the diaphragm having spasms. If you use a deep breathing method and stretching exercises in the middle of a workout it can eliminate side stitches. Taking nutritional supplements during your workout, such as BCAA, creatine monohydrate and taurine powder can help you to get leaner and fit as you add more muscle to your body.

Digestive System

When your body pumps more blood to your muscles, it takes some of the blood from your stomach and intestines that are in your digestive system. It can occasionally result in stomach issues from less digestive tract movement, secretion and absorption.

Facial Capillaries

The capillaries close to your skin’s surface in your face dilate as you workout and they strain to release heat. Some people have a particularly red face after a workout due to this heat release method.

Joints

Workouts put extra weight on your joints, which can be as much as five or six times of your body-weight alone. Your ankles, hips, elbows, shoulders and knees all operate in the same manner. Every joint contains a cushioning tissue on the ends of the bones of cartilage. They each contain soft tissue and a lubricating fluid to promote both smooth and easy movements. Your tendons and ligaments provide joint stability. Innoflex or AMF provide additional joint support to retain your joint health and reduce the amount of stress on your cartilage.

Kidneys

After an intense workout, the kidneys allow more protein to be filtered into your urine while also triggering more water re-absorption to result in less urine output. This is your body attempting to help you stay hydrated.

Muscular System

Glucose is stored by the body from the foods you eat in the form of glycogen. This is what muscles rely on for energy during a workout so you can contract your muscles and have movement. Your body also uses adenosine triphosphate or ATP when you workout. This is generally stored in your body in very small amounts and you need more oxygen to create ATP. When more blood is pumped to your muscles, it delivers the additional oxygen needed. Your muscles actually get tiny tears in them when working out and this helps them to become bigger and stronger after being sore a few days. The additional nutrition of creatine or BCAA in the form of shake, powder or pill can help you with workout recovery after your session is complete.

Pulmonary Function

Your heart rate increases during periods of physical exertion. This circulates more oxygen into the blood at a much quicker pace. You heart strengthens as you continue workouts so that you can exercise harder and longer. This will also lower your resting heart rate. You also stimulate new blood vessels to grow and this decreases your overall blood pressure in your body.

Respiratory System

Your respiratory system becomes stronger from working out. Your body can need up to 15 times more oxygen during an exercise session, so your breathing rate increases until the muscles around the lungs can’t move any faster. This is your maximum capacity of the oxygen in your lungs and it is called VO2 Max. A physically fit person has a high VO2 Max.

Skin

Your skin is affected in a workout because you produce more heat through dilation of your blood vessels in the skin. The heat dissipates through your skin as your sweat glands release water, salt and other electrolytes. When the sweat evaporates, it helps to cool the body down and lower body temperature.

Your body’s organs obtain so many beneficial elements when you workout on a regular basis to help you not only look better but to also feel great and full of energy.