Regular exercise improves the circulatory system’s ability to deliver oxygenated blood throughout the body, strengthens the heart, lowers cholesterol, and reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease. The circulatory system consists of the heart, blood, and blood vessels, and with regular physical activity, it becomes more efficient in delivering oxygen to cells.
While most people are aware that exercise is good for your health, many don’t know exactly why exercise increases well-being. In fact, this increased health is largely due to the connection between the circulatory system and exercise. Regular physical activity improves the circulatory system’s ability to deliver oxygenated blood throughout the body, which in turn improves the body’s ability to perform physical tasks. Another important connection between the circulatory system and exercise is the ability of exercise to lower cholesterol and strengthen the heart, thereby reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.
One of the main tasks of the circulatory system is to circulate oxygen-rich blood throughout the body and simultaneously return depleted blood to the lungs to be “recharged” with oxygen. This system is made up of three main components: the heart, blood, and blood vessels, including veins, arteries, and capillaries. During exercise, the body’s oxygen needs increase. Therefore, the most fundamental connection between the circulatory system and exercise is that when one engages in physical activity, the circulatory system must work harder than usual to supply enough oxygen to the cells of the body.
With regular physical activity, the connection between the circulatory system and exercise deepens. Over time, constantly working the circulatory system at an accelerated rate makes the heart muscle stronger, promotes hair growth, and increases the number of red blood cells. All of these changes cause the circulatory system to work more efficiently, allowing it to deliver more oxygen to cells than it ever could while demanding less energy than it previously needed. It is this greater circulatory efficiency that causes the athlete’s level of dyspnea to decrease with regular training.
Another connection between the circulatory system and exercise has potentially important ramifications for cardiovascular health. In addition to strengthening the heart, an effect that may reduce the risk of heart attack, regular exercise also appears to reduce the body’s levels of unhealthy low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. Researchers believe that exercise lowers LDL cholesterol levels by improving the circulatory system’s ability to move this cholesterol from the bloodstream to the liver, where it is broken down and expelled from the body. Lowering your LDL cholesterol level can significantly reduce your risk of stroke, making exercise an important weapon for both those with a history of cardiovascular disease and those who want to reduce their chances of future cardiovascular problems.
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