National Exercise Day is celebrated on April 18 every year. It is a day to encourage everyone to participate in physical activities. Exercise enhances our general health by giving us more energy, making us feel better, and even extending our lives by years. Regular physical activity and exercise have several health benefits that are impossible to overlook. Everyone, regardless of age, gender, or physical ability, benefits from exercise. Unfortunately, despite how important exercising is, only a few individuals are dedicated to it. National Exercise Day is a day to encourage and motivate people to exercise, with the aim that it will be the start of a new habit for everyone.
History of National Exercise Day
Ancient Greece is the most well-known figure in fitness history, yet general fitness is thought to have played a part in virtually every significant civilization throughout history. The history of fitness and exercise in all of its incarnations has been prevalent over time and place, from the early birth of yoga in ancient India to the intense mob football sports of medieval Europe. Yoga is the earliest type of exercise that has been documented, dating back to 3300 B.C. in India. This mind-body discipline has taken on many different shapes since its origin. Though spiritual and/or mental health has dominated the history of yoga, other varieties, such as Hatha yoga, have also stressed physical well-being.
Since ancient times, people have understood that exercise has several health benefits. It is exercise alone that supports the spirits and keeps the mind in strength, observed Marcus Cicero, a Roman politician, and lawyer, in 65 B.C. Later in history, during the Early Middle Ages, Northern European Germanic peoples saw exercise as a means of survival.
Jerry Morris headed a team that discovered the link between exercise and physical health in 1949 and published a report on it in 1953. Dr. Morris discovered that men of similar occupations and social classes had significantly different rates of heart attacks depending on the amount of exercise they received. Bus drivers had a job that required a lot of sitting, so they had a higher rate of heart disease, whereas bus conductors had a lower rate of heart disease.
National Exercise Day timeline
The first fitness coach is born.
Comaneci is the first gymnast to receive the award of a perfect score of 10 in the Olympics.
The world's best gymnastic champion is born.
National Exercise Day is established on April 18.
National Exercise Day FAQs
How many types of fitness are there?
There are four types of fitness namely, aerobic, anaerobic, endurance, and flexibility fitness.
How much exercise should we aim for each week?
A minimum of two hours of mild aerobic exercise and strenuous aerobic exercise each week.
Should I drink water before a workout?
Experts suggest that you drink about 17 ounces of water two or three hours before you exercise.
National Exercise Day Activities
Visit the gym
People go to the gym to get in shape. Even if you only work out once a week at first, it will help. Regular gym workouts will eventually make you feel and look healthier if you can maintain your motivation. All you have to do now is keep track of your progress to stay motivated to go to the gym regularly.
Listen to music while exercising
Listening to music while exercising will keep you in high spirits and will make you exercise for longer. So plug in your headphones and have fun while you exercise.
Encourage others to exercise
Exercising will be more fun when you do it as a group with your family and friends. Spread some of that motivation and enthusiasm you have in you to others and encourage them to join you in the gym.
5 Interesting Facts About Exercising
Muscle burns more calories than fat
Muscles burn three times more calories than fat.
Running burns calories
Running is the best workout for burning calories, improving flexibility, and increasing endurance.
Exercise improves memory
Exercise improves memory by increasing molecular targets like the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (B.D.N.F.), which increases synaptogenesis, forming new synapses that mediate learning and memory, making it easier to absorb information and form long-term memories.
The best exercise is planking
Planks require your arms, your legs, and all of your abs, making them an all-encompassing workout and a more efficient way to exercise.
Too much exercise is bad
Too much exercise can lead to injuries, exhaustion, depression, and suicide
Why We Love National Exercise Day
We love to keep fit
Since exercising will keep us in our best physical shape we cannot help but love exercising. We must love what is good for us.
Exercising keeps our mind awake
Exercising not only has physical benefits but also has mental benefits too. When you exercise, your body releases chemicals such as dopamine and endorphins in your brain that make you feel happy. Not only is your brain dumping out feel-good chemicals, but exercise also helps your brain get rid of chemicals that make you feel stressed and anxious.
We get to bond with friends
On National Exercise Day, we get to bond with our friends by exercising together. Group workouts are more effective in improving physical and mental health than exercising alone.
National Exercise Day dates
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | April 18 | Friday |
| 2026 | April 18 | Saturday |
| 2027 | April 18 | Sunday |
| 2028 | April 18 | Tuesday |
| 2029 | April 18 | Wednesday |
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