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  Why Exercise Boosts Mood and Energy Feeling sluggish, tired, and sleepy? Need more energy to tackle your to-do list? Skip snoozing your alarm or those few extra cups of java and head to the gym to break a sweat. According to  Neil Paulvin, DO , a regenerative medicine doctor with a private practice in New York City, the  benefits of exercise  for your energy level are twofold. Exercise boosts  your body’s fitness  and also your mood, both of which contribute to your overall health and well-being. The Physical Benefits of Exercise That Boost Energy Exercise changes the body physically in ways that help you feel energetic, including: Increases endorphin levels  Endorphins  are neurochemicals, or hormones, in the brain that are produced and stored in the brain's hypothalamus and  pituitary gland , Dr. Paulvin explains. Your body releases them when you exercise, particularly when you challenge yourself with moderate-intensity activity such as  aerobic exercise , moderate-intensity ex

  How well are you protecting yourself against heart disease, the nation’s leading cause of death? A check of five important numbers can give you a good idea: blood pressure, blood sugar, LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and waist circumference. Those values provide a picture of a person’s overall health and, more specifically, what factors they may need to address to lower their chance of a heart attack or stroke. Below are the ideal values for each measurement, along with why they’re important and targeted advice for improving them. Universal suggestions for improving all five measurements appear at the very end. How do your heart health numbers stack up? While the ideal values are good goals for most people, your doctor may recommend different targets based on your age or other health conditions. Blood pressure Less than 120/80 mm Hg Blood pressure readings tell you the force of blood pushing against your arteries when your heart contracts (systolic blood pressure, the first