Combating all the climate changes as an individual in this age is difficult. Because the temperature of the Earth is gradually increasing, there are many health issues from the heat both physically and mentally that result from it. Although there are solutions all around the world that work to fix this problem, in the meantime, people also have control over what they can do to prevent themselves from being affected. The key to this is exercise.
Exercise has been proven for a long time to have a good deal of benefits. It strengthens the body overall, decreases risk for several diseases, and boosts immune function. Exercise also strengthens cognitive function too. It stimulates brain cell development and neural connections, which is why older adults who exercise are mentally quicker than ones who don’t. This reveals a great deal about exercise because better brain cell development means enhancing memory, learning, and even emotional regulation.
Following this, the heat from global warming results in more heat-related diseases, electrolyte imbalances, anxiety, and so much more because people’s bodies are not adapted to these kinds of heat conditions. In order to build climate resilience, exercise is the key. Since exercise strengthens the body, it helps it handle heat better. Being consistent will lead to results such as conserving electrolytes better, because exercise tells the body to handle the physical demand of exercise itself. The body adapts to physical demand, meaning that when the heat triggers a physical demand, a person that has been exercising consistently will be able to handle it better than a person that did not.
The reason why heat causes anxiety and depression is because it is a stressor. That will lead to releases of cortisol, which increases the probability to have these mentally unhealthy symptoms. Exercise, on the other hand, reduces stress hormones including cortisol. Additionally, exercise triggers the release of natural chemicals that make you “feel good” such as dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins.
Not only does exercise improve every individual’s health, but it also is very helpful for the climate. This means that an individual who exercises tends to rely less on the things that increase a carbon footprint. People can’t exercise by sitting in a car or bus. They also tend to use reusable water bottles to hydrate efficiently. Starting exercise may be a difficult process in the first few days, but once the body recovers and adapts to all the physical demands, the body will have an increased chance of being able to resist the physical demands that result from the current climate.
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